Three Steps Left

Another homeless guy emulation kind-of-a-day has been uninstalled from the "system." We all know the drill. I saw Anne on the bus this morning. She will commence working at law firm in town tomorrow. The highlight of my day was when I crossed paths with the hottie gym trainer as baby was walking to work at 4pm. Baby is so gorgeous. As usual, I had to ride on a very crowded bus back to Slob Manor (read: rental housing). I was back in my squalid room by 5pm. I won't be going anywhere for the evening. I am satisified with ... the same ol' shit. Sadly, Spankwire has become rather boring because of the recent marginal uploads.

As each day passes, I become more uncertain about my future. I have no desire to return to wage slavery, not because of laziness, but because I fear my return to the "system." I cannot afford to be swept up by the vortex of the epidemic of the "seven sins." With that in mind, I have painstakingly disassociated myself from former colleagues, former friends, and former acquaintances. I remain aloof in the minimal social interactions that I encounter. I continue to divest anything, anyone, everything, and everyone that could present an impediment to the exodus. I have to come to view all aspects of culture as small tumors, ready and willing to spread and become malignant. The culture of the "system" and, hence, the culture of empire are poisonous and intoxicating. I have no choice but to quarantine myself and discard anything that could bring about an "infection." My fear is causing me great consternation. I have no idea where I will end up in the future. Where will I go? Whom can I trust? I have no answers.

Well, the Slob Manor housemates have bellowed fo the past month about moving out, but so far only Jay has followed through. This is the last day of January, and there is no sign that Pete, Tobin, or Sushant are moving out tomorrow. The boys were blowin' smoke up their own asses. Too much testosterone, shit for brains. Let's see what happens next, eh?

Well, the Fed rate cut sure did its magic, didn't it? Aside from devaluing the dollar, it caused the stock market to rally. Why is the stock market rallying? Why, because mortgage interest rates have gone up! That means more and more problems from the constantly evolving real estate "bubble" will be spewing forth.

More bad economic news is also on the way, so expect the Fed to pull another huge "emergency" rate cut. I would not be surprised to see a one percent cut in February. Then, watch out because the war on some unsuspecting pitiful nation will commence. Will it be Iran? Pakistan? Syria? It really doesn't matter. There just has to be another war comin' soon.

Goosestepping to Hades

I departed for Hawai'i Kai at 8:30am this morning, making the obligatory coffee stop at Safeway® in Kuapa Kai. Moms was home when I arrived. Lori stopped by at 10am to drop some paperwork off for me. I gave her my last two (non-hurdy-gurdy) DVDs as part of my on-going divestiture of useless possessions. Lori chatted with moms and I for a while. After she left, I drove moms down to Koko Marina to shop at Foodland and also to pick up some chili from Zippy's. Moms served hot dogs for lunch along with fresh vegetables, ahi poke, Zippy's chili, and rice. What a feast!

I chatted with moms briefly after lunch. I was on my to the Hawai'i Kai Park 'n Ride at 12:45pm. Once there, I had second thoughts about going to town. As the bus approached the bus stop, I walked back to retrieve my Nissan® Frontier truck. I drove back to Koko Marina, but I ended up parking across the street adjacent to the library. I spent a few minutes in the library perusing an old issue of Surfer magazine. Then, I walked to the gym at 2pm. I did my usual workout.

Sparing the senseless details, I ended up at Foodland looking for something to eat later in the evening. Nada. So, I drove to Safeway® and settled for a couple of Tina's® burritos. I was back in my squalid room at Slob Manor (read: rental housing) by 4pm. Well, I have no plans to go anywhere. The evening will follow the usual ritual ... same ol' shit.

As to be expected, the Fed lowered the short-term interest rates by half percent. We are now one percent away from the "war level." If the Fed makes another "emergency" rate cut, which I believe it will, the short-term interest rate will be at two percent within two months (circa March 2008¹). I heard the news on NPR as I was driving back to Slob Manor. I listened carefully to the details. The various "pundits" were discussing how the rate cuts will save the economy. All they kept mentioning, though, were cheap loans as the answer to all our problems. Yes, as we have known for some time, NPR is comprised of the typical shills for the moneychangers and the powers-that-be. They are all goosestepping to hades, and they want us to join them.

I cannot reiterate enough that the US economy is primarily divided between consumer spending (72+ percent of GDP) and "defense" spending (25 percent of GDP). If consumer spending cannot continue to increase exponentially, then that sector will collapse. The methods of "creative" financing (i.e., similar to the dubious loan practices that fueled the so-called "housing bubble") must return in order to allow endless increases in debt. There's already a credit card "bubble" evolving, but that is not going to last long. Most likely, the immediate future will see the rise of huge lines of revolving personal credit and debt consolidation. Yet, how high can it go? Will the average rank-and-file peon be given access to a million dollars in credit without documentation? That only leaves the remaining sector of the economy, basically the "war machine." That's why the empire will not be leaving Iraq and Afghanistan anytime soon. In fact, the only way that the sector can increase profitability and keep the empire's economy afloat is to initiate more long-term conflagrations. Without the Cold War, there are no other options.

¹Coincidentally, March 20, 2003 is the day that the Iraq incursion commenced. Short-term interest rates were at two percent.

Hellfire of the Vanities

Another incredibly cold night has passed. The wind, still at gale force, increased the chill factor. Is this still Hawai'i? Are we experiencing extreme global climate change? Although I continue to wear my boardshorts, T-shirt, and slippahs (read: slippers), everyone else is wearing mainland-style Winter garb. I've seen a few clowns dressed as if there was a foot of snow on the ground. Incidentally, I sleep in a sleeping bag rated for sub-zero temperature, but I am still chilled to the bone. Only the hottie gym trainer could warm things up, if you know what I mean. Baha! Ha! Ha! Haaa!

Spankwire has been completely congested for days. It is as if millions of "cheap fucks" discovered the site as the same time that the ol' lavahead did. Are there that many losers chokin' da chicken every night? Sheesh!

Another homeless guy emulation kind-of-a-day has spit in the face of the present. As the bus that I was riding approached town, the weather became more extreme. I was able to navigate my usual itinerary in between downpours. Global climate change, anyone? Sadly, Safeway® was completely out of coffee cups. Not only was I chilled to the bone, I had no caffeine boost. I rode the bus to the Capitol district after I waited out another downpour in the catacombs of Kukui Plaza. I spent an hour or so in the library. I was able to walk to the gym at 12:30pm between downpours. I dropped my gym bag off and dashed off to the Institute of Hair Design to restore my monk haircut.

I was back in the gym at 2pm. Justin, the former Diploma Mill student who will soon be a personal trainer, offered to do a quick body fat analysis on me as part of his training. I have 15 percent (possibly less) body fat. Not bad. He said that he could do a more complex analysis later. I did my usual workout. On my way out, I chatted with Justin again. Sadly, I did not see the hottie gym trainer on the way to the bus stop. Where was baby?

I was back in my squalid room at Slob Manor (read: rental housing) by 5pm. I performed the dreaded laundry chores. I ate my usual dinner comprising of beans and bread. I then cleaned my squalid room with my humble dustpan and brush. Yes, I have not retired my humble dustpan and brush. In fact, because Slob Manor is such a dump, I must clean my squalid room daily. The evening? Same ol' shit.

Elevation

I could not stop thinking about the hottie gym trainer all night. Of course, baby is such a hottie that one glimpse of her beauty will permanently etch her image in the mind. Then, there's the Vienna Sausage. What I really believe is happening, though, is that the mind tends to revert to primal desires when under extreme duress. In my case, I am on the verge of financial collapse. I have little in the way of options except to return to wage slavery.

I drove to Hawai'i Kai this morning at 8:30am, making the obligatory coffee stop at Safeway® in Kuapa Kai. Moms was home when I arrived. Moms finished up a few chores while I used my trusty pumice stone to grind down the thick calloused tissue on my feet. Moms and I drove to Kuapa Kai so that moms could shop at Longs®. I was not in the best of moods, most likely because of the earlier extended preponderance of the hottie gym trainer. Thus, I was not easily amused as I watched the myriad senior citizens in Longs® roving about in circles and bumping into each other with moms in the fray as well. Moms also brought up Uncle Tosh's funeral, which is something I do not care to discuss. For some reason, senior citizens seem preoccupied with funerals and obituary notices.

Moms wanted to eat lunch at a Korean barbeque eatery in the Hawai'i Kai Towne Center. We first walked to the local farmer's market so that moms could purchase fresh fruit. When we searched for the eatery, we found only a vacant storefront. So, we ended up at Panda Express®. Lunch was delicious. I chatted with moms until 12:45pm. I drove to the Hawai'i Kai Park 'n Ride.

I rode the Route 1L bus to town. I arrived at the usual time for my gym workout. I ran into Justin, the former Diploma Mill student who is training to be a gym trainer. He gave me the list of training programs and costs. Yikes! The training programs are not cheap. Apparently, "certified" gym trainers can earn up to 25 percent of the fees in addition to an hourly wage. The hottie gym trainer must make a decent amount of dough for working just part time. I did my usual workout.

When I exited the gym, I observed a sudden downpour had come and gone. The sky was overcast and the ground was completely drenched. I waited at the bus stop across the street from the gym in order to ride the express bus back to Hawai'i Kai. When the bus finally arrived, I saw mark in line as well. He sat next tome during the ride. We were able to catch up on what's been happening with our respective lives. Mark is now working at the State Law Library. He also bought a new Saturn® Ion last year. It was nice to chat with him. I'll probably see him again when I next ride the express bus.

I retrieved my truck and returned to Safeway® in Kuapa Kai to purchase two Tina's® burritos for dinner and a couple of air-filled energy bars for dessert. I'm not sure why I'm livin' large when I am going broke (thanks to the Fed). I drove back to Slob Manor (read: rental housing) and was back in my squalid room by 5:30pm. As to be expected, I will be staying in again for the entire evening. Same ol' shit.

I did not view Shrub's State of the Onion address. Why bother? Same ol' shit. Lies, and more lies. More rhetoric. More chimpanzee baboonery. Is Shrub ready to fade into the woodwork and become a Spankwire junkie after his term is complete. Sure looks that way, doesn't it? However, I am not yet ready to dismiss the possibility for martial law and a police state.

The Fed will meet tomorrow to slash short-term interest rates by half-percent at its regular meeting. Only evil is a force powerful enough to fuel the "system" and the juggernaut empire behind it.

Doom Revisited

Did you spend all night on Spankwire again? Yes, Sitemeter tracks browser outclicks. So far, all three readers of the "blog" have been visiting Spankwire frequently. Who needs babes when there's Spankwire? Baha! Ha! Ha! Haaa!

Another homeless guy emulation kind-of-a-day has gone nowhere and back. I did my usual Sunday workout at the gym. I did not see the hottie gym trainer until I was almost done with the cardio portion of my workout. Baby was busy working with a gym member. Later, as I walking to the front entrance, baby magically appeared from the training office right before my very eyes. As baby walked past me, I noticed how gorgeous she is. I experienced an immediate testosterone surge. My mind was ready to snap. I rode an extremely crowded bus back to Slob Manor (read: rental housing). I was back in my squalid room by 3:15pm.

I received the monthly rental summary for the "condotel" unit. Once again, it was occupied 26 out of 31 days. However, it made more money than the previous month. I received only the token "guaranteed" minimum less the renovation fee. The net amount was $730 and some change. There is now a residual of $500 that is still owed to me. Of course, the latest news according to the Advertiser is that the tourism industry is declining rapidly. Hawai'i is already in a recession. The outlook for the year in tourism looks very bleak. I am now wondering whether the "condotel" unit will have any income at all this year. If that's the case, I am doomed.

I spent a couple of hours editing my tax spreadsheet to incorporate Schedule E (for rental income or loss). From what I can tell, I will always be operating at a loss insofar as the "condotel" unit is concerned. However, I will not be able to deduct the losses thanks to the IRS rules concerning "passive" rental activity. What a damned mess!

I am becoming quite despondent about the upcoming financial chaos. From all indications, the US is in a recession that may finally collapse completely into a full-blown depression. There's not much left to prop up except the casino stock market. That's the only so-called "bubble" left. With the collapse of the real estate "bubble," the consumerist economy is slated for big trouble. About 75 percent of GDP is consumer spending. Since the US no longer manufactures any consumer products, the associated business and employment activities only involve the marketing and distribution of products made overseas. Once consumer spending drops, the game is over. The domino effect will ripple through the economy by increasing unemployment. The latter will reduce consumer spending even further. The spiral downward will only increase in momentum. Increasing debt through cheaper and longer loans may buy some time. Yet, the collapse of the real estate "bubble" has more nefarious implications. Property tax revenues will decrease sharply. State and municipal governments will begin cutting services, but they will eventually go bankrupt. Several banking institutions are in deep trouble, but we will not find out until after-the-fact. The last hold-out of savers like the ol' lavahead will be sweep into the vortex this time around when the interest rates go to zero percent. More tax cuts for the elite class are already in the works, so we can expect another huge transfer of wealth from the poor class to the elite class.

If you read Gary North's article that I cited yesterday, then you will be keenly aware of how the Asian markets are umbilically connected to the US economy. Sure, there's the false hope that such an umbilical connection will force Japan and China to keep financing the empire. However, how does that money filter down to the rank-and-file masses, the consumers who keep the damned merry-go-round going by spending well beyond their means? The "economic stimulus" package proposed by the Shrub administration is a feeble attempt to give money away to fuel more consumer spending. Yet, how far will a few hundred inflated dollars go?

Well, I am not even in the mood for Spankwire. The wind is still blowing at gale force. The air is extremely cold as well. Even sitting in my squalid room on the second floor of Slob Manor makes no difference. Too bad the hottie gym trainer won't come around, eh?

Prophesy & Demise

Another homeless guy emulation kind-of-a-day has spanked da monkey. We know the drill. I have been reading the book, "The Price of Empire," authored by J William Fulbright at the library. The book was published over 20 years ago, but it appears to have been somewhat prophetic. I am uncovering more and more evidence that prognostications of our current demise were readily available many moons ago. I did my usual workout at the gym. Then, I rode the bus with assorted barbarians back to Slob Manor (read: rental housing). I had thought of making the jaunt to Kahala Mall this evening for old times' sake. Then, I asked myself, "Why?" The wind outside is at gale force, and the temperatures have been subtropical to say the least. I'm better off staying in my squalid room and enjoying another night of non-stop Spankwire fun. Same ol' shit. Sheesh!

I've done nothing else for weeks. I have no idea when I have to file the GET return for the "condotel" unit. I am now three months behind in filing to change the property tax status of the "condotel" unit as well. I have also done nothing with my personal tax returns. Nor have made my IRA contribution for last year. What am I doing? Chokin' da chicken?

The whole money "system" is a joke. The rank-and-file peons are going to be left holding the bag as it were. Gary North analyzed the machinations behind the scenes last week when the stock market gyrated like a Vaseline®-soaked hand moving up and down on a "tube steak" (read: Vienna Sausage) in an article that appeared on the Information Clearinghouse site. An excerpt:

Let me summarize. A bureaucrat in charge of regulating MBIA calls in New York bankers to discuss a bail-out totalling (initially) $15 billion. There are no specifics announced. This is only a preliminary discussion. Result: the Dow rises almost 600 points in the afternoon.

Wait until you read the rest of the article. You may go ballistic! Incidentally, North's analysis of the "connection" with the Asian markets is not new. Few of the rank-and-file truly understand its history. Often, the blame has been cast upon the "crafty" Asians. Chalmers Johnson exposed those fallacies in his book, "Blowback," which details how the US had essentially set up preferential economies in Asia as part of its "containment" policy after World War II. Yes, it all keeps going back to the Cold War.

Nonsense

I have become completely demoralized. I can no longer sleep at night. My mood has been bordering on melancholia, but general apathy is perhaps more fitting. In all honesty, I am ready to "throw in the towel." The moneychangers and the powers-that-be have won, thanks to that fudgepacker Ben Bernanke and the Fed. I don't even feel like composing the "blog" anymore. Sheesh!

I drove to Hawai'i Kai at 9am this morning, making my obligatory coffee stop at Safeway® in Kuapa Kai. Moms was home when I arrived. The only item on the agenda was grocery shopping at Foodland in Koko Marina. Moms served leftover Curry Stew for lunch along with other goodies. I chatted with moms briefly before driving to the Hawai'i Kai Park 'n Ride. I rode the bus to town, did my usual workout at the gym, and rode the Route 82 express bus back to the Hawai'i Kai Park 'n Ride.

I made another stop at Safeway® in Kuapa Kai to purchase a carton of milk, a couple of apples, and two Tina's® burritos. I was back in my squalid room at Slob Manor (read: rental housing) by 5pm. Guess what I ate for dinner? Yum! So, it's Friday night and I am in my squalid room Spankwire. Same ol' shit.

In retrospect, my day was one of severe disconnection with my surroundings. I tried to make sense of the life-style known as the "American Dream." Aside from engaging in wage slavery, driving around in gas-guzzling 4000-pound motorized chairs, yapping on cell phones, going on endless shopping sprees, and watching hours of crap on the tube, there is not much except that comprises the "Dream." Well, there are also parties with lots of cheap booze, hot chicks, and the like. However, it is all superficial and unsustainable. Sometimes I try to rationalize some kind of sense, but it all comes out to nonsense. Often, I find myself falling prey to the snare. I quickly snap out of it, though. I know that, for me, it's not real. The "Dream" requires big money. In addition, although I am tempted by shiny objects and hot chicks, my desire for freedom is even greater. Hence, I must soldier on to the exodus, no matter what it takes.

Way to Go!

Another homeless guy emulation kind-of-a-day has been ground down to a stump. We know the drill. Sadly, I did not see the hottie gym trainer today. However, I chatted with Justin, my former Diploma Mill student who will soon become a gym trainer. There were at least four other gym trainers on duty while I was at the gym. Why is there an over-saturation of gym trainers? Is that why the hottie gym trainer has been scheduled to off-peak hours?

I was back in my squalid room at the Slob Manor (read: rental housing) by 5pm. Well, we know what's left for the rest of the day. Same ol' shit (i.e., another night of Spankwire). What more can a financially broke loser do?

Well, life has returned to normal, eh? Everyone is praising Bernanke for saving the world (of and for the rich). The stock market is climbing to even more artificial highs. And, my dividend income has been cut in half. I have run out of contingency plans. Once again, I was blindsided three months earlier than expected. In reading many of the alternative news sources, I am almost assured that the Fed will have at least two more unscheduled "emergency" rates cuts of the same magnitude and 0.5 percent rate cuts at the regular six-week meeting intervals. We should approach the "war level" of two percent in May. Why do I keep discussing war when all of the "pundits" believe that Shrub's war plans have been scuttled? In reading Chalmers Johnson's article (cited yesterday), I gleaned the following disturbing tidbit:

Nuclear weapons furnish a striking illustration of these anomalies. Between the 1940s and 1996, the United States spent at least $5.8 trillion on the development, testing, and construction of nuclear bombs. By 1967, the peak year of its nuclear stockpile, the United States possessed some 32,500 deliverable atomic and hydrogen bombs, none of which, thankfully, was ever used. They perfectly illustrate the Keynesian principle that the government can provide make-work jobs to keep people employed. Nuclear weapons were not just America's secret weapon, but also its secret economic weapon. As of 2006, we still had 9,960 of them. There is today no sane use for them, while the trillions spent on them could have been used to solve the problems of social security and health care, quality education and access to higher education for all, not to speak of the retention of highly skilled jobs within the American economy.

The US, of course, continues to "upgrade" those weapons at considerable cost. Against whom will they be deployed? That's the question we must ask ourselves since the weapons do not serve as a Cold War deterrent. Perhaps the answers lies in an article that appeared on the [deleted] site. An excerpt:

A chilling report prepared by a group of top military commanders from the US and its NATO allies declares that the alliance must be prepared to launch a preemptive nuclear first strike because of "asymmetric threats and global challenges" posed to the West. "The first use of nuclear weapons must remain in the quiver of escalation as the ultimate instrument to prevent the use of weapons of mass destruction, in order to avoid truly existential dangers," declares the report, which is titled "Towards a Grand Strategy for an Uncertain World: Renewing Transatlantic Partnership."

The authors of the document, which has been submitted to the Pentagon and the NATO command, include Gen. John Shalikashvili (ret.), who was chief of the joint chiefs of staff under the Clinton administration, as well as former chiefs of the armed forces in Britain, France, Germany and the Netherlands.

Chilling, isn't it? Heck, now that the end times are near, maybe I should just take the remaining money that I have and start up a one-man hurdy-gurdy production company. I could produce, direct, and star in hurdy-gurdy productions with all of those young hotties like Lindsay Meadows. Man, what a way to go!

Not a Remix

I departed for Hawai'i Kai at 8:30am this morning, stopping at Safeway® in Kuapa Kai to appease my caffeine addiction. Moms was home when I arrived. Despite the rain, moms and I made the trek to Ala Moana Center in my faithful Nissan® Frontier truck. Moms paid a bill at Sears®. Then, moms did some shopping at Longs®. We ate lunch at Patty's Chinese Kitchen in the Makai Mall. One more week, and Patty's will be moving out. Our last stop was at Foodland®. Moms and I drove back to Hawai'i Kai.

I contemplated going to the gym in town. However, I made last-minute arrangements to meet with Lori at 2:30pm at Koko Marina. I chatted with moms briefly. Then, I walked to the gym in Koko Marina at 12:45pm. I did a modified version of my usual workout. I showered and exited the gym just as Lori drove into the parking lot. Lori and I chatted for three hours at the Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf® located next to Foodland. Basically, we caught up on the news of the last few weeks for our respective lives. Lori mentioned that she knows of a potential buyer for the "condotel" unit. I was back in my squalid room at Slob Manor (read: rental housing) by 6pm. I performed the despicable laundry chores. The rest of the evening will be the same ol' shit (i.e., Spankwire and so forth). Oh, the great unraveling has begun!

Well, the stock market has rebounded thanks to the massive infusion of liquidity by the Fed. However, insiders are already muttering that the cut was too low. "Zero percent!" they scream. And, yes, they will get their wish very soon. Oh, the great unraveling!

End of Empire

The housemates at Slob Manor (read: rental housing) were in a tizzy over the latest development with the landlord. Tobin chatted with me briefly. He intends to call the police to have the landlord arrested for attempting to move into Slob Manor. Doesn't the landlord own the house? Is there not a vacant room? I expect the situation to develop into a messy encounter.

The Fed has made an "emergency" short-term interest rate cut by 75 basis points a week before its scheduled meeting. I expect at least another 50 basis point cut at the regular meeting next week. We are getting very close to the "war level" of two percent. Of course, the stock market must be kept inflated at any cost. It is the last remaining "bubble" of the economy. If the stock market were to crash, there would be a lot of money lost by pensions, retirement funds, and so forth. Really, though, we know that a huge transfer of wealth from the poor class to the elite class is what actually takes effect.

Seriously, the only way to postpone the recession is to re-inflate the so-called "housing bubble." Home prices must go skyward. And, mortgage interest rates must drop to three percent. All of those toxic loan instruments must come back in force. The US economy is based almost entirely on consumer spending. Only cheap loans and home equity withdrawals can sustain the artificial economy. The Fed is not worried about inflation because it will be passed on to you and I. Eventually, the recession will hit, and it will hit hard.

Another homeless guy emulation kind-of-a-day has come and gone. We already know the drill. When the Fed drops the short-term interest rate to below three percent next week, I will essentially be yielding about $1,000 per month from my investment accounts. I will be $1,000 short every month. As the recession will come about no matter what, I expect that job hunting will become a useless pursuit. Unemployment will rise significantly. Thus, does it matter if I cut out my daily cup of coffee? What is a savings of $30 per month going to do when I am $1,000 short? I am essentially done with worrying about my finances. The inflated dollar means that what I have is worth even less anyway. Incidentally, I posted the final completed net worth report (not available) for last year.

I ran into Justin, my former Diploma Mill sudent, at the gym again. He's still in the tutelage phase of becoming a gym trainer. I asked him why the gym was hiring so many new gym trainers. He did not have an answer. I remember when the hottie gym trainer was one of possibly four gym trainers total at the downtown location. Baby worked almost every day. That's when I noticed what a hottie she was.

Speaking of the hottie gym trainer, I saw baby walking along Fort Street Mall as I was headed in the opposite direction at 4pm. Baby was obviously going to work. Just before baby and I passed each other, she abruptly looked the other way. Baby was looking hot, by the way. I was able to board the Route 1L bus even though I had meandered momentarily to check my mail. I was back in my squalid room at Slob Manor by 5:15 pm. I did nothing for the rest of the day. The evening will be the same ol' shit. I am not sure how much longer I will be able to tolerate this "water torture" life-style. Why can't the hottie gym trainer come around? Sheesh! Well, at least I have Spankwire as a consolation.

Drowsy with Hope

I have been slowly tapering off from the Safeway® Night Time elixir. The common cold is still lingering after a week. Mind you, I have not taken a full dosage, nor have I taken dosages at the regular six-hour intervals. I am very skeptical about any kind of medication.

Have you checked out Spankwire yet? It's a treasure trove for losers like the ol' lavahead who cannot hook up with babes. Why couldn't the ol' lavahead have become a hurdy-gurdy star? The Vienna Sausage is operational and definitely can handle the rigor of any hurdy-gurdy production. Sheesh!

I drove to Kahala Mall this morning at 8:45am. I purchased a cup of coffee in the Barnes & Noble® Café. I sat and perused a few magazines. However, most of the usual fare seemed trivial. I pondered the meaningless nature of my life in the context of mortality. Why, I kept asking myself, am I enjoying a relatively benign life when there are billions of people suffering around the planet? Not just suffering on their own, I might add, but because of the actions of the empire. Then, I was distracted when I caught a glimpse of the Asian hottie "bookseller." Baby was looking mighty fine. What is more astounding is that there are now three Asian hottie "booksellers."

At 10:30am, I walked to Longs® at the other end of the mall. I found moms in the store. Moms wanted to shop at the Longs® in Kuapa Kai instead. So, off we went. After shopping at Longs®, moms and I ended up at Panda Express® in the Hawai'i Kai Towne Center. We ate lunch outside in the large patio area overlooking Kuapa Pond. Moms purchased fresh vegetables from the concession in the patio area before we left.

I dropped moms off and drove to the Hawai'i Kai Park 'n Ride at 1pm. I rode the Route 1 bus to town and arrived at the usual time for my gym workout. I ran into Justin, my former Diploma Mill student. He's going through the training session to become a certified gym trainer. I asked him a few questions about the position. Apparently, the gym trainers are paid a low hourly wage, but make a percentage off of the fee that is charged to their clients. Thus, the gym trainers must secure a lot of clients to make a decent wage. There was no hot water in the showers, which made for a very unpleasant experience.

I rode on the Route 80 Express back to Hawai'i Kai, which was a lot faster than the street bus. Once there, I retrieved my truck and drove back to Kuapa Kai to shop at Safeway® and Longs®. I was back at Slob Manor before 5:30pm. When I walked into the driveway, I saw the landlord just getting ready to leave. We chatted briefly. The latest news is that the landlord is immediately moving in downstairs in the vacant room. I bet the boys are not going to be too happy about the latter news. Baha! Ha! Ha! Haaaa!

Well, the rest of the evening will be the same ol' shit. The stock market has gone through a moderate correction, but not enough to make a difference. Oddly, the dollar gained against other currencies. What does that tell you? Is shopping for more crap all that we need to think about?

Free

Another homeless guy emulation kind-of-a-day has choked da chicken to a flacid climax. The whole purpose of my trip to town is my workout at the gym. Incidentally, that's the sole purpose of most of my days. Aside from the gym, there is nothing else on the agenda. Absolutely nothing. Sadly, the hottie gym trainer was not on duty while I engaged in my usual workout. However, I saw her standing in the trainer's office area just as I was leaving at 2pm. Baby was looking hot. Baby must have just arrived a few minutes earlier.

I was back in my squalid room at Slob Manor (read: rental housing) by 3pm. Once again, I opted to remain confined to my squalid room for the rest of the afternoon and on into the night. Same ol' shit.

With the untimely passing of Uncle Tosh, the issue of mortality has once again resurfaced in the oversized cranium. Time is running out. The only real item that should be on my agenda is the exodus. That's right, I need to get out of Babylon. I need to be free. Thus, the divestiture of all useless crap must be the top priority. I must also close any useless accounts. In addition, the shenanigans that are transpiring in the financial world have already usurped all of my cost-cutting countermeasures. I really cannot salvage anything remotely resembling a "normal" life. I could not return to such a life-style anyway. I have been deprogrammed. I'm already too old to hook up with a babe, but the Vienna Sausage is still fully operational. Heck, I cannot even afford to reinstate my vast hurdy-gurdy DVD library. Fortunately, there are sites like Spankwire to alleviate the pain for poor eunuchs like the ol' lavahead. He can now view low-resolution hurdy-gurdy clips for free. The ol' lavahead is waiting for clips of Lindsay Meadows, his new favorite hurdy-gurdy star. Sheesh!

Richard Cook wrote a timely article that appeared on the Global Research site titled, "Will Economic Stimulus Measures Stave Off Recession?" An excerpt:

The Republican candidates for president all want more tax cuts along with reductions in federal spending. But the only sizeable expenditures left to cut, if the war machine and interest on the debt are sacrosanct, are Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid.

That's a part of the plan, isn't it? The article, by the way, is a worthy read.

Ashes to Ashes, Dust to Dust

Why are US armed forces still in Iraq and Afghanistan? Why did we go there in the first place? Is anyone else wondering the same thing. It's been over four years now, and the answers are not forthcoming. I am sick and tired of hearing the same tired, old rhetoric. We are not fighting "terrorism." We are not spreading democracy. We are not battling "Islamofascism." Can somebody please fill me in? I've been waiting for an answer for over four years.

While we're at it, can someone explain how infinitely increasing debt service became the engine of the global economy? Actually, I already have determined the answers. However, I am just talking to myself. I could be psychotic. I would like to hear the truth ... no, make that The Truth ... from those of the elite class in the know. I don't want to guess anymore. I don't want to sort through the diatribe of the myriad talking heads. I want to hear The Truth from the source. I want to know exactly how much time I have left before I will be forced into serfdom. Is that too much to ask?

I did not sleep well last night. Pete, one of the housemates, returned at 3am and had his cheesy bass-enhanced sound system cranked up loud. A cheap sound system is easily characterized by the hollow boomy bass (500Hz region). He was playing the same crap, which I believe is one of those crappy Japanese animations. At first, I thought that it was a video game. He views the same crap every night. Of course, the guy is dumber than a knob. Could I expect much else?

Another homeless guy emulation kind-of-a-day has eclipsed reality with little impact. I have observed one of the Hawai'ian Sovereignty groups camped out in Capitol district for several days now. There's a small tent city complete with portable latrines and make-shift showers. There are large hand-painted signs placed all over the area. The native Hawai'ians want their nation back. I can't say that I blame them. However, the gabachos¹ are not going to hand anything back to anyone.

I completed my reading of Chalmers Johnson's book, Blowback," while I was at the library. After reading the book, I can honestly claim that I have no hope for any kind of rational change. The empire and society-at-large will just have to collide with destiny. Nothing can stop the juggernaut.

I did my usual workout at the gym. I was able to board an uncrowded Route 1L bus within minutes after leaving the gym. I was back in Slob Manor (read: rental housing) before 4pm. Pete, the housemate with the shitty stereo, had some crappy acid rock music playing full blast. The floor in my squalid room was vibrating along with the hollow bass thumping from his cheap loudspeakers. Was I impressed? Not really. These juvenile stunts are completely boring to me.

At 6pm, Tobin and Pete, the housemates/musicians, decided to have a jam session in the second floor common area that has, by the way, been converted into a recording studio. I have no idea where these chumps came up with the money for all that crap. What's even more pathetic is that nothing I have heard so far sounds like music. I suppose the chicks are impressed. That's all that matters, eh? Basically, the prepubescent boys are bored. Pete and Tobin are unemployed right now, so they spend their time "spreading their wings." Perhaps they should perform the homeless guy emulation instead.

Strangely, all was quiet at 7pm. No one was home except the ol' lavahead. Looks like another night of the same ol' shit for the old fool. There is nowhere to go. There is nothing to do. It is becoming painfully obvious that I need to invoke the exodus soon.

Uncle Tosh passed on around midnight yesterday, according to moms. I did not expect him to expire so quickly. I have no further details yet. Uncle Tosh will no longer suffer the agonizing pain of a failing body. He can now rest in peace.

¹Gabacho, a White Supremacist fat slob.

Pain Aversion

I had to be extremely careful with the dosages of the Safeway® Night Time elixir. I have not ingested any kind of medication in years. Thus, my nasal passages and sinuses reacted almost instantly to the decongestant and antihistamine. In fact, the elixir seemed to work too well. I was appalled to discover that acetaminophen was the primary ingredient. I can deal with pain. However, the ingredient's prevalence suggest that most "Americans" are pain-aversive. Says it all, doesn't it?

Pain-aversion is why Shrub and his cronies are frantically attempting to paste together an "economic stimulus" package, most of which are tax cuts. The plan is to salvage consumer spending, the last bastion of freedom for pain-aversive "Americans." Obviously, the stimulus package is more of the same Greenspan-like baloney. And, frankly, the real purpose is clear - another huge wealth transfer from the poor class to the elite class. There is a method to the madness, of course. Essentially bankrupting the Federal government will finally open the door to "privatize" or destroy key social services. The game is to keep the "debt bubble" inflated and constantly growing. Debts can be inflated away.

The predator-like behavior in the so-called "business world" has been imported into the workings of society-at-large. Expect that such large and blatant violations of social equity will continue unabated. Wars are the primary objective of all empires. The moneychangers and powers-that-be desire to make war. Military incursions are essential to their financial strategy. After all, the "defense" industry comprises 25 percent of GDP. That's why we appear to be barreling along to our self-destruction, but we are not. The elite class will do extremely well. The lower classes will finally be able to experience pain and suffering. No matter what, the war machine will thunder along. That is, until the secular Apocalypse comes to fruition.

Another homeless guy emulation kind-of-a-day has gone through meltdown and disappeared. I ran into Anne morning on the Route 1L bus. She is still unemployed. I believe that she is in her third month of unemployment. The rest of the day was a repeat of every other homeless guy emulation kind-of-a-day. I did my usual workout at the gym. On the way out, I ran into Justin, a former Diploma Mill student. He is now a gym trainer at the gym, along with my favorite hottie gym trainer. Are you thinking what I'm thinking? Baha! Ha! Ha! Haaaa! Incidentally, he was the student who gave me a few problems way back in early December 2004 (see the journal entry for the first week). I've seen him around many times since.

The 4:10pm Route 1l bus did not show up again. I had to wait 40 minutes before I could board a Route 1L bus. Fortunately, traffic was not as bad. I arrived back at Slob Manor (read: rental housing) at 5:30pm. Unbelievable as it may seem, I am still battling the common cold. So, I will be sitting in my squalid room for the rest of the evening. Tobin, one of the housemates, removed the cheesy WPA security for the wireless router. I am now able to connect to it effortlessly.

Sleep Deprivation Redux

Another homeless guy emulation kind-of-a-day has been frittered away. Not to worry. Homeless guy emulation days are a "dime a dozen." I repeated another sleepless night, by the way. It took me two hours to stabilize the coughing and choking induced by post-nasal drip. Then, one of the housemates, Pete, returned home to completely wake me up with the inane video game that he likes to play every night. Of course, the sound has to be pumped through his bass-enhanced sound system for realism. By that time, it was too late for me to fall asleep. Naturally, I suffered a relapse of the common cold. It's already been a week.

As groggy as I was, I staggered to the bus stop at 8:15am. Once in town, I stopped at Safeway® to purchase my brunch items and a bottle of Safeway® Night Time ($4.19 on sale), a generic version of NyQuil®. After completing my brunch in the catacombs of Kukui Plaza, I was off to the library. As usual, I had to compete with the myriad homeless for the restroom facilities. I was able to find some privacy in order to down a three-quarter dosage of the generic elixir. Whoa! Within an hour, I was buzzin'. And, there's no alcohol in the product. My sinuses were extremely clear, too.

I spent most of my time at the library lapsing in and out of a coma. I did my usual workout at the gym. I departed at the usual time, but I did not see the hottie gym trainer. I stood in an obscure area of the bus stop near Chinatown Gateway Plaza as I waited for the bus. The Route 1L bus did not arrive at the usual time of 4:10pm. I continued to wait and noticed that very few buses were Eastbound on Hotel Street. I was able to chat with one of my former Asylum students for a few minutes. I have been running into more and more Asylum students lately. The question of the mysterious closure of the Asylum always pops up.

Unbelievable as it may seem, the hottie gym trainer appeared a few minutes later. I only happened to catch a glimpse of her as she walked down Hotel Street. Baby has an extremely tight derrière. The Route 1L bus finally arrived sometime after 4:30pm. I recognized the driver which clued me in to the fact that the bus was 30 minutes late. Has the bus not been late, I would not have been able to briefly peruse the hottie gym trainer. Traffic was gridlocked through the downtown to Waikiki corridor. There other smaller gridlocked areas. I finally alighted the bus near Slob Manor (read: rental housing) at 6:30pm. I had to perform the dreaded laundry chores at an incredible late hour, so I was in for the night. Nothing new, eh? That's right, same ol' shit again.

As it turned out, the reason that traffic remained gridlocked was because, according to the local rag, a psycho wearing a hospital uniform threw a baby onto the H-1 freeway from the Miller Street overpass. The police normally close the involved roadways for most of the day in any kind of vehicular manslaughter case, which explains why all of the buses as well as the hottie gym trainer were late today.

Throw in the Towel (Reprise)

For the past few days, the common cold has made a mockery of my human functions. The post-nasal drip continues unabated, albeit sporadic. A coughing frenzy can kick up at anytime with phlegm and spittle spewing in all directions ... on the face of stone ... on my dork glasses ... on my Toshiba® Satellite notebook computer ... anything.

I drove to Safeway® in Kuapa Kai this morning at 8:30am. After purchasing the obligatory cup of coffee, I was on my way. Moms was home when I arrived. Moms was busy writing a letter. I occupied my time with trivia. After moms was done, we chatted for a bit. Apparently, Uncle Tosh has decided that he has had it with dialysis. He has a fraction of a kidney functioning, so dialysis is not an option. However, Uncle Tosh is in bad shape, far worse that I had previously thought. He had broken his hip after a fall. Now, there is little chance that he will walk again. The infection that he contracted about two months ago has not abated. The infection is not responding to medication. Uncle Tosh is also a Type I diabetic. And, moms added, he has some kind of blood cancer. In other words, Uncle Tosh is really suffering, and he wants the pain to end. He is effectively "throwing in the towel."

Moms has not heard anything about Aunty Margaret, but she believes that Aunty Margaret suffered a stroke. After that somber conversation, moms and I drove to Koko Marina. Moms did some grocery shopping at Foodland. We stopped by Loco Moco to purchase a small Teriyaki Steak plate lunch. In addition to the plate lunch, moms served up fresh vegetables, ahi poke, canned salmon, and rice. What a feast!

After lunch, I chatted with moms briefly. Then, I was on my way at 1pm. I parked at the Hawai'i Kai Park 'n Ride. I rode the bus to town from there.I walked to the gym and did my usual workout. Sadly, I did not see the hottie gym trainer. I rode the bus back to Hawai'i Kai Park n' Ride, retrieved my truck, and found myself in my squalid room at Slob Manor (read: rental housing) at 5:30pm. Obviously, not feeling too well, I had no choice but to piddle around in the dump for the rest of the evening.

My money market funds are now taking a rapid dive, dividend-wise. The actions of the Fed have finally forced a drop in interest rates. Rumor has it that the Fed will drop short-term interest rates, this time by 75 basis points or more, possibly even before its meeting at the end of the month. Make no mistake, we are seeing the preparations for a new war. The plans have been accelerated. That's why the stock market is tanking. Most likely, the target of war will be Iran. The conflagration will commence with a nuclear bomb strike followed by a ground invasion. What else could explain the continuous barrage of attempts to establish a justifiable pretext for an incursion? Why else is Shrub dancing the jig in Saudi Arabia with the nation's demented royalty?

I am tracing the pattern established for the Iraq incursion. When short-term interest rates converge on two percent (i.e., the "war level"), there will be enough cheap "liquidity" to commence the war. Favors are being given out in the form of new arms deals with our favorite despots. We are also selling off our assets (e.g., banks, infrastructure, businesses, etc.) for cheap, thanks to the engineered debt crisis. The latter are "gratuities" to insure that our creditors will continue to purchase our government bonds even though the return is low. More debt will then be created, especially by the new war. However, that debt will just be consolidated with the outstanding debt. In other words, the Fed is inflating the current debts away in order to prepare for substantially more debts, all at low interest. For consumers, even more cheaper loans will become available with longer terms to decrease monthly payments. Keeping consumers satiated in materialism will keep them fat and ignorant, just the way the moneychangers and powers-that-be like 'em.

As for the ol' lavahead, he will simply wait for the ax to fall. He is tired of chasing his tail. He's ready to "throw in the towel." He knows full well that he will be robbed blind, no matter what. Why doesn't he purchase gold like he said he would? The ol' lavahead knows that gold will most likely be confiscated, as it was in the past. Right now, gold has become a thorn in the side of the elite. Why doesn't the ol' fool just give in and become a faithful wage slave again? The ol' lavahead knows that, in his state of vulnerability, he will be a prime candidate to be infected by the epidemic of the "seven sins." He will need to be far stronger, much more immune, before he can put himself in that kind of dangerous environment again. Remember, wage slavery is what put him in this predicament in the first place.

Oil Change

Another homeless guy emulation kind-of-a-day has come to pass. Well, not exactly. I commenced my morning with a drive to New City Nissan®, the dealership where I purchased my Nissan® Frontier truck. I had scheduled an oil change and tire rotation. Mind you, the latter tasks could have easily been performed by the ol' lavahead at a fraction of the $73 cost that he had to fork out. The dealership's courtesy shuttle dropped me off near Safeway® in town at 9:15am.

The rest of the day was the same ol' shit. Of course, the highlight of my day was when I saw the hottie gym trainer. I finished my gym workout a few minutes later than usual. I walked in the direction that I normally take to get to the bus stop next to Chinatown Gateway Plaza. However, the hottie gym trainer was already walking along Fort Street Mall to the gym. Baby looked hot. El Diablo hot. What was odd is that baby stared rigidly ahead as she walked by. The punchline, of course, is that I actually had to be at a different bus stop in order to ride on the route that would take me back to the New City Nissan®. However, how could I possibly miss an opportunity to see the gorgeous hottie gym trainer?

Incidentally, I neglected that the last time I saw the hottie gym trainer near Chinatown Gateway Plaza, baby had just descended the steps of the plaza. I was still about 50 feet from the intersection. I saw baby standing, then rushing to push the button for the walk signal on the utility pole at the corner. Why did baby push the button? The button is for the crosswalk signal in the perpendicular crosswalk. Obviously, With the number of times that baby crosses the intersection, she would know that fact.

So, yes, after catching a precious glimpse of baby, I detoured to the other bus stop. As ludicrous as it sounds, that particular bus stop is almost directly across from the gym. After a short bus ride, I arrived at the dealership at 4:30pm. After paying the bill, I looked around the dealership for a few minutes. One of the sales guys took me for a tour and showed me some of the new Nissan® models.

Traffic was extremely heavy when I finally departed the dealership. I had to drive to town in order to access the entrance to the ubiquitous H-1 freeway. The circuitous trip wasted nearly 30 minutes and an untold amount of petrol. I finally found myself back in my squalid room at Slob Manor (read: rental housing) by 5:30pm. The common cold is still wreaking havoc with the oversized cranium. So, I was too fatigued to do much else than piddle around with my Toshiba® Satellite notebook computer for the rest of the evening.

I have been reading the book titled, "Blowback," by Chalmers Johnson at the library. Yes, I know that it dates back to the Millennium. The book was much more prophetic than I had previously thought. In fact, Johnson has been so accurate with his predictions that I have had to rethink my own ignorance.

Hard Reset

Oh, what fun I had last night! I updated Vista Firewall Control and Eusing Free Registry Cleaner with the latest versions on my beloved Toshiba® Satellite notebook computer. I also installed Revo Uninstaller. Man, am I livin' large, or what? I did not sleep well, though. I spent most of the valuable sleep time choking on my own phlegm. Thus, I was extremely fatigued this morning.

I drove to Hawai'i Kai at 9am. I made the obligatory stop at Safeway® in Kuapa Kai to purchase a small cup of coffee. Moms was home when I arrived. Moms and I drove back to Kauapa Kai so moms could shop at Longs®. Our final stop was Koko Marina. Moms shopped for groceries at Foodland. We picked up a couple of Beef Curry plate lunches at Loco Moco. For dessert, moms served up coffee ice cream. I chatted with moms until 1:30pm. It was too late for me to go to town, so I walked to the gym in Koko Marina. I did an abridged version of my usual workout. Frankly, I was so fatigued that I could barely stay awake through the workout. The common cold is taking a real toll on the face of stone.

Moms was already up from her nap when I walked back. I said good-bye to moms. I was back in my squalid room at Slob Manor (read: rental housing) by 4pm. I chatted with Tobin, one of the housemates, briefly. He gave me the lowdown on the new wireless router. However, he must have not set it up correctly. So, I plugged my computer directly into one its LAN ports.

I was cruisin' merrily on the Net when, at 7pm, everything came to a grinding halt. I checked the cable modem, then the wireless router. I performed a "hard reset" on the wireless modem as I am accessing the Net from one its LAN ports. Nada. The "Cable" status light on the front panel of the cable modem was clearly lit. Only the "Data" light remained dark. Suddenly, I erupted into an uncontrollable fit of choking and coughing. A cascading waterfall of post-nasal phlegm was pouring down my nasal cavities. I was choking on the crap. I couldn't breathe. After 15 minutes of that foolishness, I was finally able to regain control of my bodily functions. Frankly, I would rather have been chokin' da chicken. Sheesh! I decided to perform a "hard reset" on the cable modem. After the usual run of internal diagnostic, all of the status light were on and the "Data" lamp was flickering normally. Alas, the only exciting moment of the evening came to pass. The rest of the evening will be the same ol' shit.

An excerpt from a very interesting article is in order:

Thank god. It’s coming – the adventure many of us have been waiting decades - even our whole lives for. It’s been laying quietly, waiting for us, for this juncture, for thousands of years, and now it’s here. We’re about to go back. Back to normal. Back to a life that- if we can survive to live it - might just be free. Free of all this. Free at last of push buttons, cell phones, nuclear madmen, advertising, prisons, cops, jobs, cars, bosses, screaming bombs, plastics, and every kind of daily sickness. Thunder and lightning are about to explode right overhead, about to shake our windows and walls until the whole place trembles. Some of us can already hear it and feel it. Some of us are listening. Of course it’s going to be horrible, but if this way of life continues, things can only get worse than the worst we can actually imagine now. The day will inevitably come when we wipe ourselves off the face of the Earth, and all life with us, unless things drastically change.

Titled, "Celebrating Collapse: The Coming Adventure," the article by Juan Santos appeared on the Carolyn Baker site. A worthy read. Is Santos alluding to the secular Apocalypse? You be the judge.

House Games

I did not sleep well again last night. The cough drops did little to alleviate the persistent post-nasal drip and accompanying throat irritation. Nonetheless, I was much more rested than the night before. I departed for town at 9:45am on the bus. Another homeless guy emulation kind-of-a-day has shattered the placidity of time. We already know the drill. The hottie gym trainer was not on duty during the time that I was at the gym. Boohoo. I did my full workout, not wimping out on the cardio portion as I did yesterday. I was back in my squalid room at Slob Manor by 3:45pm.

I discovered that the old wireless router (possibly belonging to Jay) in Slob Manor had been replaced with a new router (most likely belonging to Tobin) with a new security code. I was not able to log on. So, I moved my Toshiba® Satellite notebook computer into the common area and hard-wired it into the network router. Fortunately, the cable modem is in the second floor common area, eh? Looks like more game playing with the boys is in the works.

I was still a little too fatigued to venture out in the evening. So, I piddled around on my computer in the second floor common area. Sushant, one of the housemates, gave me the security code for the wireless router. However, I have no idea whether Tobin used WEP or WPA security. Sushant also mentioned that Jay has moved out. Fortunately, I was able to listen to DI.Fm Deep House channel ... House Music for house games. I purchased another package of Safeway® Natural Herb cough drops to last through tomorrow. I'm good to go! And, what else will I be doing? Same ol' shit.

Illin'

Another homeless guy emulation kind-of-a-day has been flushed down the toilet. I did not sleep well again last night. My throat was extremely raw and sore. I was groggy and irritable this morning. Barely conscious, I departed for town at 9:15am. I resisted the temptation to purchase a big-ass cup of coffee at Safeway®, opting for the smallest size instead. I also picked up a package of Safeway® Natural Herb cough drops ($1.50 on sale). From the catacombs of Kukui Plaza to the inner courtyard of the library, I soldiered on. Nothing must impede the homeless guy emulation or the homeless guy itinerary. I partook of the cough drops and found a marginal sense of relief. The cough drops will be the only medication that I will allow myself to ingest.

I only completed the weightlifting portion of my workout at the gym. Yes, I have now instituted a seven-day weightlifting program, although the latter is way too wimpy in comparison to a normal power workout. There's no sense in taking my workouts too seriously. AFter all, I am a senior citizen. And, the hottie gym trainer is not coming around. I intuitively skipped my cardio workout for the day. No sense flirting with a relapse of the common cold. Sheesh!

I found myself back at Slob Manor (read: rental housing) at 3:45pm. As I walked back from the bus stop, I noticed that a convertible full of young tourist hotties were checking out the ol' lavahead. Nah, that can't be right. Otherwise, the hottie gym trainer would have come around by now. Once back in my squalid room, I piddled around for a bit. Then, I ate my usual beans and bread dinner.

By 6pm, I was feeling a little woozy. I sat down on the floor of my squalid room for what seemed to be the longest time. There was no way that I could step out for some fresh air. Where would I go anyway? So, I spent the rest of the evening in my squalid room. What did I do? Same ol' shit.

Blob of Jelly

Oh, for the snare of the "system"! Imagine if the hottie gym trainer and the ol' lavahead found themselves alone in a dimly lit room. Imagine baby removing that tight tank top to reveal her awesome wares. The ol' lavahead would be reduced to a gurgling blob of jelly. Drool would be running down the face of stone. Imagine the ol' lavahead intoxicating himself with baby's fabulous wares. He would be putty in baby's hands. Imagine that the ol' lavahead could not help himself and ends up ravaging baby. His Vienna Sausage rises to the occasion and pleasures baby in every way imaginable. If he does not have a seizure, the ol' lavahead would then be on the road to hades for certain. Sheesh!

I did not sleep well at all last night. No, not because of the hottie gym trainer. The common cold is much more mischievous than I thought. I finally got up and piddled around with my Toshiba® Satellite notebook computer at 2am. I spent an hour installing an application (Magix Music Maker Basic Free Edition) that ended up not functioning properly. Fortunately, I have learned to set up a System Restore Point before I do anything foolish. I simply roll back to the previous System Restore Point if something goes haywire. I do not even need to remove the application.

I attempted to go to sleep at 3pm. To no avail. I laid motionless in my sleeping bag like an embalmed mummy until 8:30am. I departed for Hawai'i Kai shortly afterward, making one stop at Safeway® in Kuapa Kai to purchase a big-ass cup of coffee. Moms was home when I arrived. We discussed our itinerary for the day.

Moms and I drove to Ala Moana Center. Our first stop was at Sears®. I had to run to the restroom to unload all the coffee. When I returned, I saw moms sprawled out on one of the beds. Moms tried out a few other beds before making a decision. Moms then ordered a new bed. We walked to the other end of Ala Moana Center to eat bento lunch at Shirokiya. Then, moms and I drove back to Hawai'i Kai. I chatted with moms until 12:15pm.

As fatigued as I was, I decided to go to town. I drove my truck to the Hawai'i Kai Park 'n Ride. I rode the Route 1L bus to town and engaged in a partial homeless guy emulation kind-of-a-day. I did my usual workout at the gym. I did not see the hottie gym trainer at all. I rode the bus back to the Hawai'i Kai Park 'n Ride with a heavy heart. Once I collected myself, I made another stop at Safeway® to purchase a few grocery items. When I arrived back in Slob Manor, I performed the dreaded laundry chores. I was not done until 7pm. I was too fatigued to do anything else. So, I confined myself to my squalid room for the rest of the evening. Perhaps I will try to install Magix Music Maker Basic again. Oh, what a life I lead! Otherwise, it's the same ol' shit.

Of course, the ol' lavahead will be in deep shit financially thanks to the damned satanic gargoyles. What will he do? Will he be forced to return to wage slavery? Will he default on the "condotel" mortgage? Here's a hint: the ol' lavahead knows when to cut his losses.

Snare of the "System"

Another homeless guy emulation kind-of-a-day has pierced the continuum. We all know the drill. I have not slept well for two nights. I have been suffering from the common cold. I have not been ill for a long time. So, how did I contract the common cold? I would suspect that I was infected by one of the housemates. Since I have put myself in the close proximity of others, I will be more susceptible to disease.

The highlight of the day was when I saw the hottie gym trainer at the intersection by Chinatown Gateway Plaza again. Baby was wearing an extremely tight tank top. Oh man! Baby is very well endowed. Baby is hot. I almost lost my mind. I kept asking myself, "Why can't I have baby?" I felt a surge of testosterone, then I felt dizzy. The testosterone surge did not interact well with my cold. A short burst of melancholia hit me. The old thoughts came back to me ... I'll never hook up with a babe like the hottie gym trainer ... I'll never do da wild thing again in my lifetime. Aside from the nagging biology of the Vienna Sausage, I realized that I was toying with the oversized cranium myself. If I ever hooked up with another babe, the exodus would become a distant memory. I would become wrapped up in a life-style that I could not sustain, no less tolerate. I would be right back in the "system," once again trapped like a hamster in a hamster wheel. I have no other choice but wait until the Vienna Sausage finally atrophies.

I was back in my squalid room at Slob Manor (read: rental housing) by 5pm. I made no effort to leave the dump, opting instead to stay in for the evening. I was still not feeling too well. So, I'm in for the same ol' shit.

By the way, ever since the Fed began dropping short-term interest rates, I have noticed that my e-mail inbox has had a steady increase in shady loan offers. The subprime market is still alive and well. Do not be fooled.
So, why haven't I discussed the 2008 Presidential (s)election? Why bother? Every candidate is a sycophant of the moneychangers and the powers-that-be.

Incidentally, the title of the "blog" entry yesterday is courtesy the Digital Minds track on DI.FM Deep House channel. Very smooth. Very deep. Deep House.

On & On

I drove to Safeway® in Kuapa Kai at 9:15am. I purchased a small cup of coffee. Moms was home when I arrived. Moms had to wait for a contractor to fix the leaky water main valve. I quickly washed my truck during the interim. I was just about finished when the contractor arrived. By the time I wiped off the truck, the new valve was already in place.

I drove moms to Koko Marina. Moms had to go to the bank. Then, moms purchased some sushi for lunch from Kozo Sushi. Moms also did some grocery shopping at Foodland. When we returned, moms opened a can of salmon, prepared fresh vegetables, and put out a variety of other food for lunch including ahi poke, lamp-baked chicken, fish cake, fried noodles, rice, and more. We enjoyed quite a hearty feast. For dessert, moms served pumpkin pie. I was completely stuffed.

Moms and I were able to chat for a while. Apparently, Aunty T passed on about two weeks ago. Aunty Margaret's neighbor found her unconscious on the floor. The last moms had heard, Aunty Margaret had suffered a severe stroke. Moms expressed concern that the walk to Koko Marina has become somewhat fatiguing for her. Although moms remains ambulatory and fairly healthy, it is obvious that the effects of age are catching up.

I walked to the gym in Koko Marina at 1pm. I did my usual workout. When I returned, moms was already up from from her nap. We chatted briefly. Moms gave me some leftovers to eat for dinner. I was back in Slob Manor (read: rental housing) by 4pm. Tobin, one of the housemates, returned from his vacation last night. He and his buddy engaged in a jam session on the second floor as I attempted to unwind. The decision to make the jaunt to Kahala Mall was, in effect, made for me. I departed at 6:45pm. As usual, I patronized Longs® and Barnes & Noble®. The Asian hottie "bookseller" was on duty. Baby was looking mighty fine. Sadly, I had to return to the bleak reality of Slob Manor. I spent the rest of the evening in solitude in my squalid room. Same ol' shit.

The stock market was miraculously rallying again because of the almost-assured half-percent rate cut by the Fed when it meets two weeks from now. Other financial sources are certain that the Fed will lower short-term interest rates to the war level of two percent before the third quarter. The latter is in-line with my previous predictions. Inflation is running at about ten percent according to untainted sources. We are in a recession, as I've stated before. The mainstream financial pundits are, of course, denying any chance of a recession. They assure us all that consumers will continue to spend no matter what. Well, consumers would have to do so to keep the economy afloat since over 70 percent of the GDP is consumption. Where are consumers to get the money? More loans! The Fed will be forced to dip short-term interest rates to zero percent and keep them there indefinitely. Does that sound familiar? The interest rate cycle, as I have postulated before is similar to a damped oscillation. On its next peak years from now, the short-term interest rate can only go as high as three percentage points, if even that. Frankly, I am not even sure if the economy will still be intact at that point.

I have been pondering the ridiculous notion of purchasing another DVD. This time, I have my sights on the timeless flick, "Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb." Heck, I have no health insurance and no dental plan. I am an impoverished, albeit emancipated, wage slave. Why do I need to waste money on such foolishness? I only possess two other DVDs, the last one purchased on a whim just a few weeks ago. I already plan to donate them as I do not care to store them any longer. So, why do I need the cheesy comedy? Well, listen to the great sound bites and you'll know why. Produced in 1964, the flick could very well have been a prophesy of our times now.

Rollin' Like Thunder

Another homeless guy emulation kind-of-a-day has slipped into oblivion. We know the drill already. The highlight of my day occured after I left the gym. I walked to the bus stop at the Chinatown Gateway Plaza. As I ascended the steps, I saw the hottie gym trainer walking out of the building. I suspect that she was exiting the parking structure. Baby was looking hot. As soon as I saw her, she started fiddling with her purse. She continued to fiddle with her purse until we passed each other. Why can't baby just come around?

I returned to Slob Manor at 5pm (read: rental housing) on an extremely crowded Route 1L bus. I piddled around for the rest of the afternoon and on into the night. I could have made a jaunt to Kahala Mall. What would I do there? So, the same ol' shit is all that's on the agenda.

My bond fund investment has finally regained its recession-level NAV¹, most likely because stocks are sliding. I am certain that the Fed will lower interest rates yet again, although the money market has been extremely slow in responding. I am led to believe that there is no "liquidity" crisis. Rather, the Fed is trying to force short-term interest rates to go down by flooding the economy with inflated dollars. There seems to be a strong upward pressure on interest rates. Thus, the Fed will continue to lower the short-term interest rates to zero percent (i.e., injecting more and more worthless dollars into a failing economy). At the two percent level, there will be another incursion into a yet-to-be-determined "terrorist" nation. I also suspect that the economy will hyperinflate into yet another debt "bubble" of some kind, possibly about three months after the target zero percent is reached. The next "bubble" will finish us off.

The problem isn't really with the fed. In fact, a quick look at the accompanying graph will implicate the real culprits. You, me, and the satanic gargoyles are all at fault. We have no dough. And, we are spending money that we don't have. How? By borrowing from loan sharks, of course! With stagnant wages, "globalization," and high inflation, the trend line will continue further into the negative region. The trend line will not regress linearly because of an upward absorption across class gradients beginning with the impoverished. More and more satanic gargoyles are falling into the deficit spending trap. Something's gotta give.

The "condotel" unit has not been listed for a few weeks. It's been on the MLS for so long that the term expired. The "condotel" unit has been listed again after the default waiting period. Let us all hope that it sells soon so I can finally invoke the last phase of the exodus.

Watch the news in the next few days. I'm serious. There may be rioting, looting, and general pillaging here in Hawai'i because of the June Jones fiasco at the UH. The general populace is now calling for resignations at the highest level as a result of the loss of the football coach to SMU. Heads will have to roll, or there's going to be mayhem. Well, at least we know that the general populace is not entirely brain dead.

¹NAV, or net asset value.

The Sun, The Moon, The Stars

I drove to Hawai'i Kai at 8:30am, stopping briefly at Safeway® in Kuapa Kai to purchase a small cup of coffee. Moms was home when I arrived. After a few minutes, moms and I were on our way to Liliha. Moms had an appointment with her opthamologist. Liliha is a mess. The place has not changed much in over 50 years with the exception that there are probably ten times as many 4000-pound motorized chairs (read: automobiles) cruising around. The streets are narrow, so parking is at a premium.

The opthamologist's office is right on Liliha Street, an overcrowded barrio-like thoroughfare. The office building has limited parking in the cramped basement. Patrons must wait in line until other patrons leave before parking is available. At least two or three vehicles are in constant queue. Aside from the queue, vehicles must block traffic along Liliha Street to wait to enter the latter. I finally gave up and dropped moms off at the entrance.

I drove around for what seemed like an eternity until I found parking several blocks away next to an elementary school. I walked back to the office building. I found moms sitting in the waiting room when I arrived. The whole fourth floor is taken up by the eye clinic including a small optical dispenser. Moms was called on schedule. There was young hottie Filipino babe working at the front desk. Thus, I was able to distract myself while I waited.

Moms was done at 11:45am. Moms waited at the entrance while I walked back to my truck. I picked up moms, and we were on our way. Apparently, the bleeding behind moms right eye has completely disappeared. I have no idea what to make of the discovery. I am just glad to know that moms has no serious medical problems.

Moms and I stopped off at Kahala Mall. Moms did some shopping at Longs®. Then, we ate lunch at Panda Express®. By the way, the fortune in my Panda Express® fortune cookie read, "Your dearest wish will come true." Does that mean the hottie gym trainer will finally come around? Baha! Ha! Ha! Haaa!

I gave moms a ride back to Hawai'i Kai. I walked down to the gym at Koko Marina. I did my usual workout. Moms was already awake from her nap when I returned. I chatted briefly with moms before departing.

I stopped at the Hawai'i Kai branch of the library to donate two books. I wanted to stay there for a while and peruse anything interesting. However, the collection of books was beyond pitiful. The selection of periodicals was even worse. If the library were a reflection of the community that it resides in, then Hawai'i Kai is populated with tube-watching dolts. Disappointed at what I saw, I drove back to Slob Manor (read: rental housing).

I piddled around for the rest of the afternoon. Piddling is now my forté. For dinner, I ate a double-decker cheese sandwich. Actually, it was more like a snack. I did nothing important for the rest of the evening, seemingly waiting for my ship to come in. Well, we know that's not going to happen. So, I will have to settle for the same ol' shit. Sheesh!

Who Cares?

Another homeless guy emulation kind-of-a-day has faded into the woodwork. The hottie gym trainer was not on duty, which was a sad discovery. The temporary showers in the men's locker room at the gym were operational. Aside from being extremely small, the showers provided the warmest water in the history of the downtown gym. I was back in Slob Manor by 3:15pm after taking a circuitous ride on the Route 3 bus. I had to share the entire rear of the bus with extremely overweight Pacific Islanders. I could not determine their exact ethnicity. Fortunately, they alighted at the stop closest to Wal-Mart®. Obviously, they are going to stock up on more cheap junk food in order to gain additional poundage.

Once back in my squalid room, I performed the dreaded laundry chores a day earlier than expected. I piddled around with my Toshiba® Satellite notebook computer, ate beans and bread for dinner, and piddled around until 7:30pm. I drove to Kuapa Kai to do some shopping at Safeway® and Longs®. More canned beans. More bread. The generic Safeway® loaf of bread has gone up by ten percent to $3.29 (on sale) since last week. I also purchased two Tina's® burritos for a snack. After my shopping spree, I drove back to Slob Manor. I immediately heated up and ate the Tina's® burritos. The rest of the evening? Same ol' shit.

The front page news in the local papers for the past few days here in Hawai'i is the apparent resignation of UH football coach June Jones. He's taking a multi-million dollar gig at SMU. Almost everyone here in Hawai'i is in an uproar. It's beyond ridiculous. Iraq and Afghanistan? Who cares? The idiotic presidential (s)election? Who cares? The economy collapsing? Who cares? However, when the news of June Jones hit the street, there was near rioting and mayhem.

Talking to Myself

Another homeless guy emulation kind-of-a-day has become past tense. What was my itinerary? We all know the drill already. I have doing more reading of the usual "Current affairs" genre at he library. However, most of the books are so old that they should be classified under "History" instead. Nonetheless, I have discovered that most of current affairs has been discussed back in the past. That leads me to wonder how stupidity prevailed. The library appears to have more recent books, but I suspect that the latter are checked out all the time.

I don't comment much about current affairs anymore for obvious reasons. With only three readers, I am basically talking to myself. In fact, I have cut out the middle man and now literally talk to myself. I am beginning to understand why a lot of the homeless, senior citizens, derelicts, and the true losers all talk to themselves. It's not necessarily due to insanity unless the subject is holding a conversation with one or more imaginary friends. Talking to oneself is a product of a culture of alienation and stratification. We need human companionship, and we need to hear a human voice. Those of us who have absolutely no social contacts are most prone to begin conversing thoughts out loud.

The men's locker room at the gym is undergoing a remodeling. The showers are the first part of the project. The luna (read: boss) told me that there will be only two temporary showers set up for the remainder of the month. The temporary showers are being constructed where the urinals are located. That should prove interesting.

The evening was the same ol' shit. I did not leave my squalid room once I returned to Slob Manor (read: rental housing) on the bus. I am becoming fatigued with the shopping mall excursions. There's only one activity at a shopping mall - purchase useless crap. Perhaps I will spend all evening perusing hurdy-gurdy sites on the Net. Then again, maybe not.

On a side note, yesterday's "blog" title was courtesy the DI.FM Deep House track of the same name by Iz & Diz. Really smooth and deep. Deep House.

Emotional Landscape

When I boarded the bus destined for town this morning, I saw moms sitting in one of the seats. Moms was apparently making a "dry run" to Liliha. Moms has an appointment on Monday in Liliha with her opthamologist. Although I had already given moms the specifics about the new Route 1L, moms still wanted to do the "dry run." Moms alighted at Foodland on Beretania Street to transfer to the Route 13 bus. I continued on to town. Essentially, another homeless guy emulation kind-of-a-day was on the agenda.

My morning coffee courtesy Safeway® did not sit well with me. I experienced acute pangs of anxiety throughout the remainder of the day. I also suffered long bouts of essentially flat affect. I felt like a zombie. Needless to say, I was not myself.

I ran into Shirley while I was walking to the Institute of Hair Design. Shirley was her way to lunch with Wendy, her boyfriend's sister. I restored my monk haircut. Then, I completed my usual workout at the gym. I was back in Slob Manor (read: rental housing) by 4:15pm after a quick ride on the bus. I piddled around until my usual time to depart for Kahala Mall. So, off I went. I ended up at Barnes & Noble® as to be expected. When I returned to Slob Manor, absolutely no one was home. I took advantage of the moment to enjoy the peace and quiet. What did I do? Same ol' shit, of course!

Incidentally, the landlord stopped by last night. Apparently, the other housemates are going to be paying for damages that resulted from the big party a few weeks ago. I had a more civil chat with the landlord. I will be the only person staying on after the end of January from what I can tell. I am not sure what will happen after that. Even the landlord does not know. Sheesh!

Four days into the new year, and I have done absolutely nothing. I have made no preparation for my tax returns. I have not researched anything about the estimated taxes that I probably owed three days ago. I have not submitted the form to change the tax status of the "condotel" unit. I have not thought about returning to wage slavery. All that's been on my mind is how I can divest even more of my useless possessions. And, I really don't have much left. I have reduced myself to the equivalent of a homeless guy. I sleep in a sleeping bag. Most of my "stuff" remains packed in the other gym bag that I use as luggage. The rest of my "stuff" sits on the floor in Safeway® plastic shopping bags. If I loaded everything on a shopping cart, I would look exactly like most of the homeless.

Oddly, I have slept quite well even though I sleep in a sleeping bag. The noise, the parties, the slammin' soirée, the endless traffic outside ... all pale in comparison to the noise pollution of Waikiki. I still wear earplugs, mind you. Perhaps I am becming more accustomed to noise because I am subconsciously preparing for my future as a true homeless guy. Strange things.

Money Tree Redux

Another homeless guy emulation kind-of-a-day has elapsed in the new year. Time is already ticking by quickly. The itinerary for the day? Heck, we all know the drill. Sadly, I did not kick the caffeine habit yet, although I am giving the latter a lot of thought and lip service. Last month's coffee expenditure hit an all-time high (see financial update below). How could I let that happen? I consumed the monetary equivalent of two computer memory modules. Overall, my expenses (including the "condotel" business) have surpassed the $3,000 mark. How can this be?

After my usual workout at the gym, I was on my way back to Slob Manor (read: rental housing) on the bus at 4:10pm. I did not want to hang out at a shopping mall again, so I stayed in for the night. I confined myself to my squalid room. What did I do? Same ol' shit, of course.

My Toshiba® Satellite notebook computer appears to be functional. There are some performance increases, albeit slight. I discovered that Windows® Vista uses 37 percent of the available 2GByte RAM while idling. Thus, I suspect that I will be better performance during multi-tasking operations. I am stuck with Windows® Vista, so I must insure that my computer is optimized for it.

Dichotomy

The rain was coming down fairly hard this morning as I drove to Hawai'i Kai. My first stop was at Safeway® to purchase a small cup of coffee. I pondered the future plight of my lowly cup of coffee. I can no longer afford to support the caffeine habit. My investment income has been dropping while my expenses continue to rise. That's the sad part about the debauched life-style that we all share. Any kind of sacrifice in life-style is not tolerated. Lowering the "standard of living" is unacceptable, although it is already artificially high in comparison to the majority of world citizens. I did happen to make a note of the fact that a large sign with the words, "Now Hiring," was outside the entrance of Safeway®.

I drove to the Hawai'i Kai library to seek refuge from the rain. I spent about 20 minutes there. Moms was home when I arrived. So was my nephew. Moms and I drove to Koko Marina. Moms went to the bank and did some shopping at Foodland. Moms prepared hot dogs and leftovers for lunch. Coffee ice cream was served up for dessert.I chatted with moms briefly. At 1:30pm, I drove to Koko Marina and parked in the parking structure. I was fortunate. Usually, there are no spaces available in there. I walked to the gym. By then, the rain had minimized to a soft drizzle. I did my usual workout. I drove back to Slob Manor (read: rental housing). I did the dreaded laundry chores one day earlier than expected. Like a fool, I dropped one piece of underwear, so it did not get washed. That means I'll be doing the dreaded laundry chores one day early again on the next cycle.

I piddled around until 6:15pm. I drove to Best Buy® to purchase another memory module. That's another $30 out the door. Oh well. I looked around the store again. The place was packed with shopping fools, and I can see why. There are just too many technology toys. Even I wished that I could go hog wild and buy everything in sight. I left before I became more disillusioned. I stopped by Barnes & Noble® at Kahala Mall for a few minutes. I was not much in the mood to browse around. I made one last stop at Foodland in the Aina Haina Shopping Center. I had hoped to find find something inexpensive to eat. Even the crappy frozen burritos were over a dollar each. I bought a package of heavily processed Pepper Jack Cheese. Once I was back in Slob Manor, I made three skimpy cheese sandwiches and put them in the microwave oven for about a minute. A meal fit for a king!

The rest of the evening will be the same ol' shit. I need to sort out a few random thoughts. I have had a feeling of tension all day. There's a major dichotomy concerning my life-style. I have become confused. I have to continue to lower my "standard of living." I live two life-styles simultaneously. Sometimes I am the middle class stonehead. At other times, I am a poverty-stricken face of stone. I drive around in a fairly new and nice truck. However, I more often ride the bus with the lowest of income classes. I have had countless expensive material possessions, but I often divest myself of such crap to live in mendicance. I have owned and continue to own real estate, although I am renting out a room in a dump.

While I sipped my coffee in the Safeway® parking lot for a few minutes this morning, I watched all of the expensive cars driving in and out. Have you noticed that affluent chicks are always hot? That's the "American Dream," the life-style that has been drilled into us as a desired aspiration. Yet, the real face of stone is much more comfortable in poverty, which is where he belongs.

Well, my Toshiba® Satellite notebook computer now has 2Gbyte of RAM. Is it running any faster? Not really. However, I am out $60 and some change. I did have fun for two minutes as I installed the new memory module. That's the dichotomy at play again. Sheesh!

New Year's Day 2008

Today was pretty much a carbon copy of Saturnalia last week ... brunch courtesy Safeway® and lounging at Koko Head Park. The only exception is that I drove to the Hawai'i Kai Park n' Ride at noon. I missed the Route 23 bus by a minute. However, I was on board the Route 1 bus a few minutes later. After making two transfers, I found myself walking down Dillingham Boulevard. I had specifically asked the driver of the Route 42 bus, the last leg of my journey, if the route went along Nimitz Highway. I was told that it did. Then, why was I on Dillingham Boulevard?

The walk to Best Buy® was short enough. Without the usual non-holiday traffic, I fell into a leisurely pace. I finally arrived at Best Buy®. The place was packed. I was able to find and purchase additional memory ($30 on sale) for my Toshiba® Satellite notebook computer. I looked around the store for a bit. In days of old, I would have been in Hog Heaven. However, I became very disoriented. There was just too much "stuff." After my fill of consumerism, I made the journey to the Hawai'i Kai Park n' Ride on the bus with only one transfer.

I procured the same greasy chicken wings pack for dinner along with a couple of dinner rolls as I did for Saturnalia. Then, I drove back to Slob Manor (read: rental housing). My first task was to install the new computer memory. However, when I opened the protective cover, I almost went homicidal. The crappy computer had both RAM slots occupied by pathetic 512MByte modules. Thus, I only ended up increasing the memory by 50 percent. What a waste of time and money! I would have to replace the remaining 512Mbyte module in order to achieve the memory increase that I desired. Sure enough, when I powered up the computer, I did not notice any difference in performance. I could have purchased a couple of hurdy-gurdy DVDs for the amount that I spent. Sheesh!

I choked down my dinner. The chicken wings were so greasy that the pieces kept slipping out of my fingers and flying onto the floor. I almost threw my dinner in the trash can. I became even more perturbed about the idiotic computer memory fiasco. I was ready to fling my Toshiba® Satellite notebook computer through the window. Now, I will have to make another trip to Best Buy® and spend another $30 for yet another memory module. And, what am I going to do with the old memory modules?

Well, that's how the first day of the new year ended for the ol' lavahead. Is that a sign of things to come? I'm sure the sinister kahuna will be a thorn in my side for the whole year. Perhaps the economy will crash and everything will be moot. Or, Shrub might declare martial law, and we'll be goosestepping down the promenade. It can only get worse. Hau'oli Makahiki Hou!