I was surprised to see moms on the Route 1L bus when I boarded it at the bus stop near Slob Manor (read: rental housing). Moms was on her way to Star Market in Mo'ili'ili. I continued on into town to begin a homeless guy emulation kind-of-a-day. The library was more like an insane asylum than a sanctuary. Idiots were talking aloud, using their cell phones, eating food (which is prohibited), and carrying on in the inner courtyard. I almost lost my mind. Had I done so, I would have gone on a homicidal rampage. I had to move to different table at one point because the noise was too much. At the new location, there was a homeless guy sitting at the next table. He obviously had not showered in a very long time. I was at wits' end. I also noticed that my smallest toe on my left foot has only half of a toenail left.
Only when I walked through the garden-like setting of the Capitol district on my way to the gym did I feel at peace. When I walked under one of the larger shade trees, I felt a sense of euphoria. As many times as I have walked the exact same route, I have never experienced such a strong feeling. That's the power of nature. Sadly, I was back in the concrete jungle within minutes.
I did my usual workout at the gym. On my way out, I saw a hottie standing at the front desk and chatting with one of the managers. Baby was wearing tight jeans. I am almost certain that it was the hottie gym trainer. I felt a tinge of melancholia knowing that all I have to look forward to is a night of hurdy-gurdy "torrent" downloading. Frankly, the rude awakening has been a long time coming. As a senior citizen, I will be going through various stages of physical and mental degeneration (which has already commenced). Yet, tragically, I am not certain when I am going to face the fact that my time has come and gone.
The ride back to Slob Manor on the bus was substandard as usual. I was back in my squalid room by 5pm. Reflecting on my thoughts for the day, I nearly threw the can of beans (read: dinner) through the window. Once I confronted myself with the fact that I am a senior citizen, I felt too weak to thrust the small can of beans with my frail arm. However, I had enough strength to pour out a glass of Fox Brook wine. I consumed the glass of wine with a passion. Instantly, I felt young again. My already impaired vision became even more impaired so that I looked even younger when I caught a glimpse of my reflection in the mirror. I'm just a regular guy in a loser's body, I thought to myself.
Later, I realized that I need some kind of general plan to wind down my operations. With only 25 years left and half of that time possibly spent as an invalid, I cannot continue to procrastinate about my personal affairs. I must continue to close useless accounts and memberships. I mus divest my remaining useless possessions in a timely fashion. I must whittle down my Net presence. Essentially, I must realize that I have fade into the woodwork. I must become invisible. I must disappear.
Friday, February 29, 2008
Thursday, February 28, 2008
State of Emergency
At 9:45pm last night, I declared a "state of emergency." Immediately, I popped the cork on the bottle of Fox Brook wine. Cheap boozin' time! What better complement to a night of hurdy-gurdy "torrent" downloading and "seeding." Sheesh!
This morning, two monks were sitting in the seat in front of me on the Route 1L bus. One of the monks had a two-day stubble on what would have been a shaved head. I noticed that all the hair was grey, although he looked much younger than I thought. Both of the monks were wearing monks robes. Along the way to town, I noticed that the signage at the petrol stations advertised that the lowest grade of petrol is now $3.42 per gallon. From that point forward, I followed the usual homeless guy itinerary. In other words, another homeless guy emulation kind-of-a-day. I did my usual workout at the gym. I did not see the hottie gym trainer. No doubt, baby has been walking along her alternative path to the gym.
The Route 1L bus was 25 minutes late this afternoon. As a result, the bus was even more crowded than usual and the ride was even longer. I was back in my squalid room at Slob Manor (read: rental housing) by 5:30pm. There was not much left of the afternoon. I piddled that time away rather easily. The evening, of course, will be the same ol' shit. Much to my surprise, the "torrent" tracker was almost fully functional. Perhaps there will be no need to declare another "state of emergency" this evening. Baha! Ha! Ha! Haaaa!
This morning, two monks were sitting in the seat in front of me on the Route 1L bus. One of the monks had a two-day stubble on what would have been a shaved head. I noticed that all the hair was grey, although he looked much younger than I thought. Both of the monks were wearing monks robes. Along the way to town, I noticed that the signage at the petrol stations advertised that the lowest grade of petrol is now $3.42 per gallon. From that point forward, I followed the usual homeless guy itinerary. In other words, another homeless guy emulation kind-of-a-day. I did my usual workout at the gym. I did not see the hottie gym trainer. No doubt, baby has been walking along her alternative path to the gym.
The Route 1L bus was 25 minutes late this afternoon. As a result, the bus was even more crowded than usual and the ride was even longer. I was back in my squalid room at Slob Manor (read: rental housing) by 5:30pm. There was not much left of the afternoon. I piddled that time away rather easily. The evening, of course, will be the same ol' shit. Much to my surprise, the "torrent" tracker was almost fully functional. Perhaps there will be no need to declare another "state of emergency" this evening. Baha! Ha! Ha! Haaaa!
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Autonomous & Alienated
After procuring a nice hot cup of coffee at Safeway® in Kuapa Kai, I was on my way to Hawai'i Kai. Moms was home when I arrived. I spent a little bit of time using my pumice stone to grind down the thick calloused skin on the soles of my feet. After I discovered that the pumice stone works best when wet, I subsequently made increased progress. No more old man feet for the ol' lavahead. Moms and I drove to Koko Marina. Moms shopped for groceries at Foodland. Moms purchased a lamp-baked chicken for lunch.
Lunch was delicious. Moms served rice and fresh vegetables along with the lamp-baked chicken. For dessert, moms served up cinnamon rolls. During lunch moms showed me a few pictures that I had taken twenty years ago. The pictures detailed a trip around the island with moms and Aunty Margaret. Moms is giving the spare set of pictures to the family of the deceased. We had stopped off at Haiku Gardens in Kane'ohe for lunch and at the Byodo-In (home of one of the largest Buddha statues) in Temple Valley. Then, we stopped by for Matsumoto Shave Ice in Haleiwa. We made what we thought to be a brief stop at Aunty Emily's house in Wahiawa. Then, my aunties and moms all worked together to make a splendid meal. Aunty Emily's kids and grandkids suddenly appeared. We had a great time. That was during one of my infrequent visits from Cali.
I walked down to the gym in Koko Marina at 12:45pm. I did my usual workout. I was able to ride the small shuttle bus (Route 232) back to say good-bye to moms. My nephew was already home from school, much to my surprise, so I made a quick exit. I stopped off at Foodland in Koko Marina to purchase a carton of milk, a loaf of bread, and a bottle of vino (for emergency purposes). I was back at Slob Manor (read: rental housing) by 3:30pm. When I walked to the second floor, there were router and all kinds of other network gear lying around. The cable modem and the wireless router were still intact, although it appeared that someone was fiddling with them. I feared the worse.
I performed the dreaded laundry chores. Then, I attempted to access the Net. Everything was back to normal. A few minutes later, Pat the landlord, arrived. She collected up all of the miscellaneous computer gear and that was that. To be honest, I like both Pat and Augustine. So, am actually not complaining about them. Well, the rest of the afternoon and the evening will involve the normal routine ... same ol' shit. That's the way I like it!
Pathetic, isn't it? Well, even worse is the fact that the ol' lavahead's life has been reduced to downloading and "seeding" hurdy-gurdy "torrents." That and using his humble dustpan and brush as a WMAD (Weapon of Mass Ant Destruction). Once the point of no return is reached during the exodus ... well, there is no turning back. I believe that I finally reached that point when I was emancipated from wage slavery. I lost my final connection to the rank-and-file. I am now autonomous and completely alienated.
Lunch was delicious. Moms served rice and fresh vegetables along with the lamp-baked chicken. For dessert, moms served up cinnamon rolls. During lunch moms showed me a few pictures that I had taken twenty years ago. The pictures detailed a trip around the island with moms and Aunty Margaret. Moms is giving the spare set of pictures to the family of the deceased. We had stopped off at Haiku Gardens in Kane'ohe for lunch and at the Byodo-In (home of one of the largest Buddha statues) in Temple Valley. Then, we stopped by for Matsumoto Shave Ice in Haleiwa. We made what we thought to be a brief stop at Aunty Emily's house in Wahiawa. Then, my aunties and moms all worked together to make a splendid meal. Aunty Emily's kids and grandkids suddenly appeared. We had a great time. That was during one of my infrequent visits from Cali.
I walked down to the gym in Koko Marina at 12:45pm. I did my usual workout. I was able to ride the small shuttle bus (Route 232) back to say good-bye to moms. My nephew was already home from school, much to my surprise, so I made a quick exit. I stopped off at Foodland in Koko Marina to purchase a carton of milk, a loaf of bread, and a bottle of vino (for emergency purposes). I was back at Slob Manor (read: rental housing) by 3:30pm. When I walked to the second floor, there were router and all kinds of other network gear lying around. The cable modem and the wireless router were still intact, although it appeared that someone was fiddling with them. I feared the worse.
I performed the dreaded laundry chores. Then, I attempted to access the Net. Everything was back to normal. A few minutes later, Pat the landlord, arrived. She collected up all of the miscellaneous computer gear and that was that. To be honest, I like both Pat and Augustine. So, am actually not complaining about them. Well, the rest of the afternoon and the evening will involve the normal routine ... same ol' shit. That's the way I like it!
Pathetic, isn't it? Well, even worse is the fact that the ol' lavahead's life has been reduced to downloading and "seeding" hurdy-gurdy "torrents." That and using his humble dustpan and brush as a WMAD (Weapon of Mass Ant Destruction). Once the point of no return is reached during the exodus ... well, there is no turning back. I believe that I finally reached that point when I was emancipated from wage slavery. I lost my final connection to the rank-and-file. I am now autonomous and completely alienated.
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Net Disconnect
Another ... homeless guy ... kind ... of ... a ... day ... aaarrrgh! Need I even discuss the painful itinerary? Must I detail the ordeal of drudgery? The highlight of the day was when I saw the hottie gym trainer walking to the gym. Baby has apparently been walking a different route from the Chinatown Gateway Plaza. Perhaps baby noticed that I was in awe of her. Oh well. Who wouldn't be spooked by a homeless guy wannabe? I was back in my squalid room at Slob Manor (read: rental housing) by 5pm.
The landlord, Pat, has been a pain in the ass lately. She and her husband, Augustine are now occupying two of the rooms on the first floor. They will be downstairs until the end of the month. They own a nursery somewhere out in Hawai'i Kai. They also sold their house in Hawai'i Kai for $900,000 and some change. The house is in escrow, so that's why they have moved into Slob Manor. Incidentally, the house next door to Slob Manor is for sale at over $2 million.
With that in mind, the evening was slightly divergent of the same ol' shit. At 8pm, the Net went down. Well, not exactly. The Oceanic account was terminated for some reason. That, of course, put an end to my "torrent" downloading for the evening. The landlord, Pat, was downstairs, frantically on and off the phone. I told Pat that the Net went down. Pat was already in tizzy because she had been talking with her son. Apparently, there were two broadband cable accounts, one at each house. Pat had called Oceanic about terminating one account and consolidating the e-mail to the account for Slob Manor. Some kind of misunderstanding resulted in the termination of Net service at Slob Manor. The bottom line is that Pat's son allegedly was trying to access two very important pieces of e-mail on the other account. That's as much as I could handle before realizing that major stupidity was at play.
The landlord, Pat, has been a pain in the ass lately. She and her husband, Augustine are now occupying two of the rooms on the first floor. They will be downstairs until the end of the month. They own a nursery somewhere out in Hawai'i Kai. They also sold their house in Hawai'i Kai for $900,000 and some change. The house is in escrow, so that's why they have moved into Slob Manor. Incidentally, the house next door to Slob Manor is for sale at over $2 million.
With that in mind, the evening was slightly divergent of the same ol' shit. At 8pm, the Net went down. Well, not exactly. The Oceanic account was terminated for some reason. That, of course, put an end to my "torrent" downloading for the evening. The landlord, Pat, was downstairs, frantically on and off the phone. I told Pat that the Net went down. Pat was already in tizzy because she had been talking with her son. Apparently, there were two broadband cable accounts, one at each house. Pat had called Oceanic about terminating one account and consolidating the e-mail to the account for Slob Manor. Some kind of misunderstanding resulted in the termination of Net service at Slob Manor. The bottom line is that Pat's son allegedly was trying to access two very important pieces of e-mail on the other account. That's as much as I could handle before realizing that major stupidity was at play.
Pat called Oceanic, but I ended up spending 30 minutes on one of Pat's cell phones with the technical support staff. After volleying between different departments and being put on hold each time, I finally was told that the remote access "fix" was not being accepted by the cable modem. A few minutes later, I was told that another person was working on the account which had locked out the cable modem to anyone else. I then realized that Pat's son was on the phone attempting to take care of the same problem. Thus, I was left to my own devices for the rest of the evening. Oh well, my computer needed a rest anyway.
Monday, February 25, 2008
War & No Peace
A torrential (not to be confused with hurdy-gurdy "torrents") downpour at 7:30pm last night left me no option but to sit in my squalid room at Slob Manor (read: rental housing) all night. The Pure T 'n A "torrent" tracker was down all evening. Thus, I spent the time reading the alternative news. I read an article titled, "NATO's Reign of Terror in Kosovo," by Michel Chossudovsky that appeared on the Global Research site. Recall that I had been looking for more information about the bombing of Serbia. Well, here it is. In reading the article, be sure to not overlook the section titled, "State Terror and the 'Free Market.'" Later, I discovered that Spankwire has mended its ways and has restored most of its features to its basic (read: free) accounts. Well, the night was not a total loss after all. Sheesh!
I was sitting in the Barnes & Noble® Café in Kahala Mall at 9am this morning and sipping a nice hot cup of coffee. I perused a few computer magazines. I also perused the latest issue of Harper's, specifically, the article titled, "The next bubble: Priming the markets for tomorrow's big crash," written by Eric Janszen (also available on-line). Janszen essentially described the "serial bubble" economy. I agree with his thesis as we all know. Janszen, however, postulated that there were three possibilities for the next "bubble" - healthcare, pharmaceuticals, or alternative energy. Given select criteria, he concluded that the area of alternative energy will be the catalyst for the next "bubble." He discounted war and the "military-industrial complex," although he had originally included the latter as an option. After all, both the Afghanistan and Iraq conflagrations came right at the heels of the "dot-com" collapse and subsequent recession.
I disagree with Janszen because a "bubble" require the formation of more debt. By his own data (see graphs in article), there would have to be a peak of $20 trillion dollars of debt in order to inflate the "bubble" and offset the losses incurred by the previous "bubbles." Who is to acquire the debt? And, where is the money to come from? Unless the rank-and-file consumer strikes it rich (i.e., the "wealth effect" during the real estate "bubble"), the new "bubble" cannot inflate. That brings me to the more dark solution that may now be contemplated by the moneychangers and the powers-that-be. I am speaking of another worldwide war. We are seeing events unfold right now that seemingly indicates the empire's preference for such an outcome. My friends, I would seriously give the latter scenario some thought.
I met moms outside Longs® at 10:30am. Moms did a little shopping there. Then, we ate lunch at Panda Express®. On the way back to Hawai'i Kai, we stopped off at Koko Marina. Moms had to go to the bank and also shop for groceries at Foodland. After unloading all of the stuff, I chatted with moms until 1:15pm. Then, I walked to the gym in Koko Marina. I only did my cardio workout. While walking back, I pondered the good fortune that I have had in life. No, I am not one of the "rich and famous," but I am surviving quite well given the circumstances. Moms gave me all kinds of goodies before I departed.
I made a stop in Kuapa Kai to shop at Safeway®. I was overcharged for the bulk rolls that I purchased. The bitch cashier treated me as though I was trying to rip off the great Safeway®. She called the bakery department for a price check. I just told her to forget about it because I was in the express checkout line. There were a few shoppers behind me. I cannot even describe how much I despise shopping and consumerism. I was back in my squalid room at Slob Manor by 4pm. I am sure that we all know the drill for the rest of the afternoon and evening, eh? Same ol' shit.
I was sitting in the Barnes & Noble® Café in Kahala Mall at 9am this morning and sipping a nice hot cup of coffee. I perused a few computer magazines. I also perused the latest issue of Harper's, specifically, the article titled, "The next bubble: Priming the markets for tomorrow's big crash," written by Eric Janszen (also available on-line). Janszen essentially described the "serial bubble" economy. I agree with his thesis as we all know. Janszen, however, postulated that there were three possibilities for the next "bubble" - healthcare, pharmaceuticals, or alternative energy. Given select criteria, he concluded that the area of alternative energy will be the catalyst for the next "bubble." He discounted war and the "military-industrial complex," although he had originally included the latter as an option. After all, both the Afghanistan and Iraq conflagrations came right at the heels of the "dot-com" collapse and subsequent recession.
I disagree with Janszen because a "bubble" require the formation of more debt. By his own data (see graphs in article), there would have to be a peak of $20 trillion dollars of debt in order to inflate the "bubble" and offset the losses incurred by the previous "bubbles." Who is to acquire the debt? And, where is the money to come from? Unless the rank-and-file consumer strikes it rich (i.e., the "wealth effect" during the real estate "bubble"), the new "bubble" cannot inflate. That brings me to the more dark solution that may now be contemplated by the moneychangers and the powers-that-be. I am speaking of another worldwide war. We are seeing events unfold right now that seemingly indicates the empire's preference for such an outcome. My friends, I would seriously give the latter scenario some thought.
I met moms outside Longs® at 10:30am. Moms did a little shopping there. Then, we ate lunch at Panda Express®. On the way back to Hawai'i Kai, we stopped off at Koko Marina. Moms had to go to the bank and also shop for groceries at Foodland. After unloading all of the stuff, I chatted with moms until 1:15pm. Then, I walked to the gym in Koko Marina. I only did my cardio workout. While walking back, I pondered the good fortune that I have had in life. No, I am not one of the "rich and famous," but I am surviving quite well given the circumstances. Moms gave me all kinds of goodies before I departed.
I made a stop in Kuapa Kai to shop at Safeway®. I was overcharged for the bulk rolls that I purchased. The bitch cashier treated me as though I was trying to rip off the great Safeway®. She called the bakery department for a price check. I just told her to forget about it because I was in the express checkout line. There were a few shoppers behind me. I cannot even describe how much I despise shopping and consumerism. I was back in my squalid room at Slob Manor by 4pm. I am sure that we all know the drill for the rest of the afternoon and evening, eh? Same ol' shit.
Sunday, February 24, 2008
Folies-Bergère (Reprise)
Another non-descript Sunday homeless guy emulation kind-of-a-day was filled with nasty rain. I was able to navigate around town fairly well, no doubt because I was in no hurry to be anywhere. Aside from Safeway®, my only other destination was the gym. I did my usual Monday workout instead. I have begun to modify my weight workouts to include more variety. The hottie gym trainer was there, but I only caught a brief glimpse of baby. Even though I was taking my time with my workout and shower, I was still out the door before 2pm. A crowded bus ride with the usual crowd from the projects rounded out the afternoon. I was back in my squalid room at Slob Manor (read: rental housing) by 3pm. The weather gradually began to clear up. Can you believe it? As for the evening, the phrase, "same ol' shit," is an accurate description.
"Do you know anything about pain and suffering? I do," Les the putz asked me the other day. I certainly have not experienced the kind of pain and suffering that the victims of empire have. However, I doubt that Les the putz has experienced much inconvenience except for the "crappy jobs that [he] had for 25 years." Les lives with his parents. He's about my age. No doubt, he has not had to worry about rent or mortgage payments. Neither has he had to eat beans and bread every day. Les the putz has had the luxury of home-cooked meals during his folly of peon wage slavery. What a putz.
I discovered that one of the many "condotel" units in the Aloha Surf has been sold. The unit is on the 8th floor. I was surprised considering that the unit sold for $162,000 or so. It has a higher maintenance fee and, being on a higher floor, it never attains full occupancy. Well, I suppose that the new owner will discover the folly of his (her) error soon enough.
My cheap Philips® earbud headphones have become intermittent. The right side keeps going out. I have tempted to tear the piece of shit apart. However, I have no replacement as yet. Obviously, the cheap $10 crapware was a poor investment. Oddly, my Norelco® electric shaver (also a Philips® product) is also giving me grief. The shaver, however, is over 23 years old. Moms gave me that shaver as a gift wat back when.
The Pure T 'n A "torrent" tracker gave out some time before 6pm. Thus, there was no way to download or "seed" any "torrents." There will be many unhappy hurdy-gurdy aficionados. Oh, the folly! Baha! Ha! Ha! Haaa!
"Do you know anything about pain and suffering? I do," Les the putz asked me the other day. I certainly have not experienced the kind of pain and suffering that the victims of empire have. However, I doubt that Les the putz has experienced much inconvenience except for the "crappy jobs that [he] had for 25 years." Les lives with his parents. He's about my age. No doubt, he has not had to worry about rent or mortgage payments. Neither has he had to eat beans and bread every day. Les the putz has had the luxury of home-cooked meals during his folly of peon wage slavery. What a putz.
I discovered that one of the many "condotel" units in the Aloha Surf has been sold. The unit is on the 8th floor. I was surprised considering that the unit sold for $162,000 or so. It has a higher maintenance fee and, being on a higher floor, it never attains full occupancy. Well, I suppose that the new owner will discover the folly of his (her) error soon enough.
My cheap Philips® earbud headphones have become intermittent. The right side keeps going out. I have tempted to tear the piece of shit apart. However, I have no replacement as yet. Obviously, the cheap $10 crapware was a poor investment. Oddly, my Norelco® electric shaver (also a Philips® product) is also giving me grief. The shaver, however, is over 23 years old. Moms gave me that shaver as a gift wat back when.
The Pure T 'n A "torrent" tracker gave out some time before 6pm. Thus, there was no way to download or "seed" any "torrents." There will be many unhappy hurdy-gurdy aficionados. Oh, the folly! Baha! Ha! Ha! Haaa!
Saturday, February 23, 2008
Squeaky Clean
Let's face it, we already know that another homeless guy emulation kind-of-a-day has come and gone. We also already know the drill. However, what exactly goes through the cavernous reaches of the oversized cranium while trudging through his homeless guy itinerary?
For the most part, my mind is concentrating on the subtle aspects of the homeless guy emulation, specifically the tortuous experience of boredom and humiliation. The endless wandering with limited loitering locales pushes the envelope of sanity. I continuously make comparisons of myself and the real-life homeless. Often, I attempt to put myself in their shoes and hypothesize whether I would be able to survive under such conditions. However, there can no realism until I break the restrictions involving participation in food lines and actually sleeping in some filthy area with my sleeping bag. The emulation will remain essentially a farce until I drop the latter restrictions.
Lately, I have been fascinated by all of the trees in the Capitol district. Whenever I walk through the grounds, I peruse each tree carefully. In fact, I am in complete awe. Then, I contrast the natural beauty to the human-made concrete jungle that pretty much encircles the Capitol district. Frankly, I just want to "deliver street pizza," if you know what I mean.
The new showers at the downtown location of the gym are finally available for use. I cannot say that I was impressed. The water was lukewarm, and the water pressure has been set even lower than before. The spent water still piles up around the drains. Well, at the very least, the showers are squeaky clean.
I was back in my squalid room at Slob Manor (read: rental housing) by 5pm. Incidentally, the landlord has served an eviction notice to the Asian babe in the end studio. The landlord will be moving into that unit at the beginning of March. In the meantime, the landlord is moving stuff into the first floor of the house. One of the landlord's friends is moving into one of the rooms on the first floor next month as well. He's an older guy, probably about my age. He's moving in because of some unforeseen circumstances. I'm sure that I will hear the details later. Well, the rest of the evening will be the same ol' shit.
For the most part, my mind is concentrating on the subtle aspects of the homeless guy emulation, specifically the tortuous experience of boredom and humiliation. The endless wandering with limited loitering locales pushes the envelope of sanity. I continuously make comparisons of myself and the real-life homeless. Often, I attempt to put myself in their shoes and hypothesize whether I would be able to survive under such conditions. However, there can no realism until I break the restrictions involving participation in food lines and actually sleeping in some filthy area with my sleeping bag. The emulation will remain essentially a farce until I drop the latter restrictions.
Lately, I have been fascinated by all of the trees in the Capitol district. Whenever I walk through the grounds, I peruse each tree carefully. In fact, I am in complete awe. Then, I contrast the natural beauty to the human-made concrete jungle that pretty much encircles the Capitol district. Frankly, I just want to "deliver street pizza," if you know what I mean.
The new showers at the downtown location of the gym are finally available for use. I cannot say that I was impressed. The water was lukewarm, and the water pressure has been set even lower than before. The spent water still piles up around the drains. Well, at the very least, the showers are squeaky clean.
I was back in my squalid room at Slob Manor (read: rental housing) by 5pm. Incidentally, the landlord has served an eviction notice to the Asian babe in the end studio. The landlord will be moving into that unit at the beginning of March. In the meantime, the landlord is moving stuff into the first floor of the house. One of the landlord's friends is moving into one of the rooms on the first floor next month as well. He's an older guy, probably about my age. He's moving in because of some unforeseen circumstances. I'm sure that I will hear the details later. Well, the rest of the evening will be the same ol' shit.
Friday, February 22, 2008
A Good Son
After procuring my cup of coffee at Safeway® in Kuapa Kai, I was on my way. Moms was home when I arrived. Moms did not have to go shopping, so we did not embark on the usual itinerary. Moms opened a can of salmon for lunch, along with leftover Zippy's chili, rice, and fresh vegetables. I was able to spend more time chatting with moms. On a sad note, moms informed me that Aunty Margaret had passed on a few days ago. Moms had forgotten to tell me. Looks as though we will be attending yet another funeral, much to my chagrin.
I walked to the gym in Koko Marina after lunch. I did a slightly abridged version of my usual workout. I walked back to say good-bye to moms. On the way back to Slob Manor (read: rental housing), I made another stop at Safeway® in Kuapa Kai. Yes, Tina's® burritos for dinner again. I was back in Slob Manor by 3:30pm. I was left with plenty of time to perform the dreaded laundry chores, albeit two days earlier than expected. As everyone can guess, the evening will be comprised of the same ol' shit.
Moms turned 86 years of age earlier this month. I have observed that moms is moving much slower with each passing day. And, moms has complained of being tired all the time in addition to experiencing increased arthritic pain. All of that has me concerned, but there's not much that I can do except to be a good son. All I know is that life is really short, and I can only do what I think is right. Otherwise, how could I live with myself?
I walked to the gym in Koko Marina after lunch. I did a slightly abridged version of my usual workout. I walked back to say good-bye to moms. On the way back to Slob Manor (read: rental housing), I made another stop at Safeway® in Kuapa Kai. Yes, Tina's® burritos for dinner again. I was back in Slob Manor by 3:30pm. I was left with plenty of time to perform the dreaded laundry chores, albeit two days earlier than expected. As everyone can guess, the evening will be comprised of the same ol' shit.
Moms turned 86 years of age earlier this month. I have observed that moms is moving much slower with each passing day. And, moms has complained of being tired all the time in addition to experiencing increased arthritic pain. All of that has me concerned, but there's not much that I can do except to be a good son. All I know is that life is really short, and I can only do what I think is right. Otherwise, how could I live with myself?
Thursday, February 21, 2008
By Hook or Crook
Oh yes, oh yes, another homeless guy emulation kind-of-a-day has spit in the eye of its beholder. The itinerary? Same ol' shit. The only deviation from the "routine" was the restoration of my monk haircut at the Institute of Hair Design. An Asian hottie cut my hair, and baby did a fine job. I did my usual workout at the gym. Then, I rode the bus back to Slob Manor (read: rental housing).
I piddled around until 6:30pm, when all of the lights went out. I walked outside and observed that the whole neighborhood was dark. My only thought was that I would not be able to continue downloading hundreds of hurdy-gurdy "torrents." A few minutes later, I scrounged around to locate my LED flashlight. I cranked the handle a few times to charge the battery. I debated the idea of driving to Kahala Mall since there is not much else to do in the dark except to choke da chicken. Baha! Ha! Ha! Haaa!
Well, the electric power was restored after 30 minutes of darkness. Thus, the evening "routine" will continue unabated. What "routine" is that? Same ol' shit, of course. With the "torrent" of activity, I have had little desire to wax philosophic. Wax on, wax off. That's as deep as Mr. Miyagi and the ol' lavahead dare venture.
Later, the ol' lavahead may offer his "two cents" on the idiotic presidential campaign. Right now, it looks as though Obama is being set up as the candidate of choice. However, he would not be surprised if McCain ends up in the Oval Office by "hook or crook."
I piddled around until 6:30pm, when all of the lights went out. I walked outside and observed that the whole neighborhood was dark. My only thought was that I would not be able to continue downloading hundreds of hurdy-gurdy "torrents." A few minutes later, I scrounged around to locate my LED flashlight. I cranked the handle a few times to charge the battery. I debated the idea of driving to Kahala Mall since there is not much else to do in the dark except to choke da chicken. Baha! Ha! Ha! Haaa!
Well, the electric power was restored after 30 minutes of darkness. Thus, the evening "routine" will continue unabated. What "routine" is that? Same ol' shit, of course. With the "torrent" of activity, I have had little desire to wax philosophic. Wax on, wax off. That's as deep as Mr. Miyagi and the ol' lavahead dare venture.
Later, the ol' lavahead may offer his "two cents" on the idiotic presidential campaign. Right now, it looks as though Obama is being set up as the candidate of choice. However, he would not be surprised if McCain ends up in the Oval Office by "hook or crook."
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Computer Nerd
I visited with moms again in Hawai'i Kai this morning. Moms and I made the usual rounds at Koko Marina and Kuapa Kai including Longs® and Foodland. I stopped in Blockbuster® to terminate an account that I have never used (as per the exodus). Our last stop was at Zippy's to pick up a couple of spaghetti plate lunches.
I enjoyed my visit with moms today. We feasted on a delicious lunch. Moms also served up fresh vegetables and ahi poke, too. I was able to chat with moms and also help with a couple of chores. I walked to the gym in Koko Marina at 12:45pm. I did my usual workout. I walked back to say good-bye to moms. Moms packed a small container with rice and Zippy's chili for my dinner. Then, off I went. I made another stop in Kuapa Kai to return to Longs®. I am stocking up on food items whenever the latter is on sale.
I was back in my squalid room at Slob Manor (read: rental housing) by 3:30pm. I piddled around for the rest of the afternoon. I ate my delicious dinner, courtesy moms, at 7pm. The rest of the evening? Same ol' shit. No cheap boozin'. No mindless political or financial discourse. Perhaps I will download a few choice hurdy-gurdy "torrents.” Baha! Ha! Ha! Haaaa!
Well, I finally figured out the "fix" for the port-forwarding1 problem in configuring µTorrent. The real solution requires that I force the router to assign a fixed IP address to my computer. Then, through the router's Web-based administration, I can set up a virtual server and dedicate a port for peer-to-peer connections. I have no intention of changing any IP settings on my computer. As senile as I am, I may forget about it and find myself in deep crap later on. So, I obtained my router-assigned IP address through the command line. I used that IP address to configure the router settings. The downside is that I will have check my actual IP address daily and possibly modify the router's virtual server settings. Currently, I am using a hard-wired LAN port on the wireless router, so I am almost certain that the LAN port's IP address will remain the same unless I reset the router. Oh, what a computer nerd I am!
1Port-forwarding is required for peer connections in a "torrent" client. Downloading files is still possible without peer connections, although the download speed may be slower. However, the most important aspect of allowing peer connections is the avoidance of being identified as a "leech." A long-term "leech" may eventually be banned.
I enjoyed my visit with moms today. We feasted on a delicious lunch. Moms also served up fresh vegetables and ahi poke, too. I was able to chat with moms and also help with a couple of chores. I walked to the gym in Koko Marina at 12:45pm. I did my usual workout. I walked back to say good-bye to moms. Moms packed a small container with rice and Zippy's chili for my dinner. Then, off I went. I made another stop in Kuapa Kai to return to Longs®. I am stocking up on food items whenever the latter is on sale.
I was back in my squalid room at Slob Manor (read: rental housing) by 3:30pm. I piddled around for the rest of the afternoon. I ate my delicious dinner, courtesy moms, at 7pm. The rest of the evening? Same ol' shit. No cheap boozin'. No mindless political or financial discourse. Perhaps I will download a few choice hurdy-gurdy "torrents.” Baha! Ha! Ha! Haaaa!
Well, I finally figured out the "fix" for the port-forwarding1 problem in configuring µTorrent. The real solution requires that I force the router to assign a fixed IP address to my computer. Then, through the router's Web-based administration, I can set up a virtual server and dedicate a port for peer-to-peer connections. I have no intention of changing any IP settings on my computer. As senile as I am, I may forget about it and find myself in deep crap later on. So, I obtained my router-assigned IP address through the command line. I used that IP address to configure the router settings. The downside is that I will have check my actual IP address daily and possibly modify the router's virtual server settings. Currently, I am using a hard-wired LAN port on the wireless router, so I am almost certain that the LAN port's IP address will remain the same unless I reset the router. Oh, what a computer nerd I am!
1Port-forwarding is required for peer connections in a "torrent" client. Downloading files is still possible without peer connections, although the download speed may be slower. However, the most important aspect of allowing peer connections is the avoidance of being identified as a "leech." A long-term "leech" may eventually be banned.
Monday, February 18, 2008
Torrential Foolishness
Can you guess what kind of a day this was? Did you say, "a homeless guy emulation kind-of-a-day"? Yes? You are so right! How did you know? The checkout guy at Safeway® asked me what I did for wage slavery as he rung up my cup of coffee and air-filled energy bars. I had to divulge that I was emancipated from wage slavery. "Don't work here," he said. "It's too stressful." I then confided that I had seriously contemplated applying for a position at Safeway®. He laughed.
At the library, I ran into Les, a guy who was a pseudo-professor at the Diploma Mill for one semester at the about five years ago. I had seen him around a few times at the library, but I avoided contact. He's working as a data entry person for the State Bureau of Conveyances. He's also a "Christian," so he spent about 20 minutes sharing his personal ministry. To be honest, I am not exactly thrilled to engage in a "religious" discussion with "Sunday-go-to-meeting" Christians. Although Les seemed to be very devoted, he made me skeptical of his claim to have found the "true" religion. Alas, I refrained from commenting and let him do all the talking.
I did my usual workout at the gym. I did not spot the hottie gym trainer. Baby is sure keeping a low profile. I suspect that her days at the gym are numbered. I was back in my squalid room at Slob Manor (read: rental housing) by 5pm. Can you guess what's in store for the evening? Did you say, "Same ol' shit"? Man, you really know the drill!
The ol' lavahead searched high and low and found T 'n A Flix, a site that is a suitable replacement for Spankwire. The hurdy-gurdy videos may be downloaded via its "torrent" site Pure T 'n A. Since everything else has swirled down the urinal (not to be confused with the Diploma Mill), there's nothing left but hurdy-gurdy videos.
At the library, I ran into Les, a guy who was a pseudo-professor at the Diploma Mill for one semester at the about five years ago. I had seen him around a few times at the library, but I avoided contact. He's working as a data entry person for the State Bureau of Conveyances. He's also a "Christian," so he spent about 20 minutes sharing his personal ministry. To be honest, I am not exactly thrilled to engage in a "religious" discussion with "Sunday-go-to-meeting" Christians. Although Les seemed to be very devoted, he made me skeptical of his claim to have found the "true" religion. Alas, I refrained from commenting and let him do all the talking.
I did my usual workout at the gym. I did not spot the hottie gym trainer. Baby is sure keeping a low profile. I suspect that her days at the gym are numbered. I was back in my squalid room at Slob Manor (read: rental housing) by 5pm. Can you guess what's in store for the evening? Did you say, "Same ol' shit"? Man, you really know the drill!
The ol' lavahead searched high and low and found T 'n A Flix, a site that is a suitable replacement for Spankwire. The hurdy-gurdy videos may be downloaded via its "torrent" site Pure T 'n A. Since everything else has swirled down the urinal (not to be confused with the Diploma Mill), there's nothing left but hurdy-gurdy videos.
Unfortunately, the set-up to download "torrents" is beyond the pea-sized brain of the ol' lavahead. After setting up µTorrent, I discovered that I could not enable port-forwarding (essential for peer connections). Even after manually entering the port number into the firewall rules, port-forwarding was still disabled. The culprit is either Vista Firewall Control (which I will not disable) or the wireless router's firewall. Once again, the ol' lavahead was thwarted. If only the hottie gym trainer would come around, then he would not need a "torrent" downloading client. Sheesh!
Pluto Day 2008
I was sitting outside Longs® in Ala Moana Center at 9am with Starbuck's® coffee in hand and waiting for moms. When moms arrived, we made the usual rounds including Sears®, Longs®, and Shirokiya (for bento lunch). On the way back, we stopped off at the Hawai'i Kai Towne Center to visit City Mill. Moms also purchased some fresh fruit and vegetables at the Farmer's Market. I dropped moms off at noon. Then, I spent a couple of hours at Koko Head Park. There's nothing more enjoyable to me than natural surroundings. I really did not want to leave the sanctuary of the park. However, at 2pm, the gym was beckoning me.
I did only a cardio workout this afternoon, since I accomplished both my usual Sunday and Monday weight workouts yesterday. I made a quick at Longs® and Safeway® in Kuapa Kai. I did not purchase any greasy burritos for dinner, in case anyone was wondering. Back in my squalid room at Slob Manor (read: rental housing), I opted to perform the dreaded laundry chores. Once again, I had to wash two loads because I neglected to properly collect all of the dirty laundry. I would have mentioned that this was a holiday (Pluto Day), but every day is a holiday for the ol' lavahead. Sheesh!
The evening? Same ol' shit. Incidentally, anyone visiting Spankwire may have noticed that it is now a paid subscriber service for downloading the marginal quality hurdy-gurdies. It is still possible to view the pirated gurdy-gurdies in any Web browser. However, the quality is even more marginal. Why would anyone pay for pirated hurdy-gurdies? Sounds like a lawsuit waiting to happen, eh?
By the way, my AARP® membership renewal included a free gift, a nifty pedometer. I have maintained my membership with the AARP® because I may eventually use many of its services, one being its healthcare plans. The latter may be my only health insurance option. I had intended to subscribe to a health plan, but the money is tied up in the detestable "condotel" unit. At present, I have also deferred both eye and dental examinations indefinitely. I am not sure how long I can hold out.
I did only a cardio workout this afternoon, since I accomplished both my usual Sunday and Monday weight workouts yesterday. I made a quick at Longs® and Safeway® in Kuapa Kai. I did not purchase any greasy burritos for dinner, in case anyone was wondering. Back in my squalid room at Slob Manor (read: rental housing), I opted to perform the dreaded laundry chores. Once again, I had to wash two loads because I neglected to properly collect all of the dirty laundry. I would have mentioned that this was a holiday (Pluto Day), but every day is a holiday for the ol' lavahead. Sheesh!
The evening? Same ol' shit. Incidentally, anyone visiting Spankwire may have noticed that it is now a paid subscriber service for downloading the marginal quality hurdy-gurdies. It is still possible to view the pirated gurdy-gurdies in any Web browser. However, the quality is even more marginal. Why would anyone pay for pirated hurdy-gurdies? Sounds like a lawsuit waiting to happen, eh?
By the way, my AARP® membership renewal included a free gift, a nifty pedometer. I have maintained my membership with the AARP® because I may eventually use many of its services, one being its healthcare plans. The latter may be my only health insurance option. I had intended to subscribe to a health plan, but the money is tied up in the detestable "condotel" unit. At present, I have also deferred both eye and dental examinations indefinitely. I am not sure how long I can hold out.
Sunday, February 17, 2008
Blue Boogaloo
Another homeless guy emulation kind-of-a-day? You bet! The day was practically a carbon copy of yesterday. I spent an hour in the park adjacent to the Beretania Street Apartments. The park was packed with the homeless as well as a few halfway house derelicts. Needless to say, I felt right at home. Sheesh! I departed for the gym at noon. I only got a brief glimpse of the hottie gym trainer, although I did an extended workout. Baby was looking hot. I was back in Slob Manor (read: rental housing) by 4pm. I cleaned the second floor common area because it had gotten so filthy that I could not stand it any longer. I ate dinner (read: beans sans bread) a little earlier than usual. Cheap boozin' commenced at 5:30pm. I can't say that I felt too good after that. Nonetheless, I piddled around for the rest of the afternoon. The evening? Same ol' shit.
I have made the somewhat grim discovery that I can never leave the life-style that I have adopted, that is, one of a hermit or monk. In essence, I have pretty much accomplished the exodus. For example, I cannot repair my social life. I have none. I am a social recluse. I am now adverse to any social contact. I can no longer hold a conversation of any length. I no longer check e-mail, nor do I bother to listen to voicemail. Almost all communication is automatically discarded because I no longer check anything. After a few weeks, stuff just disappears. And, frankly, I don't care.
I have made the somewhat grim discovery that I can never leave the life-style that I have adopted, that is, one of a hermit or monk. In essence, I have pretty much accomplished the exodus. For example, I cannot repair my social life. I have none. I am a social recluse. I am now adverse to any social contact. I can no longer hold a conversation of any length. I no longer check e-mail, nor do I bother to listen to voicemail. Almost all communication is automatically discarded because I no longer check anything. After a few weeks, stuff just disappears. And, frankly, I don't care.
I will most likely not be able to return to wage slavery, even if I am at a financial breaking point. I can no longer function in a typical wage slave environment. "Teamwork" is out. Collaboration is not in my vocabulary. As boring and trying as the monastic existence proves to be, I can see no other alternative. I have culled my exposure to the tube, movies, and other malignant entertainment. I have "deculturalized" myself. There will be no Twitter nonsense. As you may recall, I have eliminated my Myspace® and Facebook accounts. I plan to begin minimizing LoserNet services as well. Say it ain't so! Lastly, I have sought out homeless guy emulation as a transition to a possible future life-style option. I really don't see any way that I can turn back.
Saturday, February 16, 2008
In the Crowd
Another homeless guy emulation kind-of-a-day has streaked beyond the present. The library was closed, so I had to improvise my itinerary. I had thought about expanding my homeless guy emulation to Hawai'i Kai for the day. However, I changed my mind at the last minute. So, instead of enjoying the relative seclusion of the inner courtyard of the library, I found myself in the small park adjacent to the Beretania Street Apartments. With the exception of a small handful of parents and children in the playground area, the rest of the park visitors were comprised of the homeless and destitute. A number of shopping carts were parked along the periphery. I sat on one of the benches under the trees with my trusty gym bag. A young hottie rode into the park on her bicycle. She situated herself on the grass in the Northeast corner of the park. She laid out a blanket and basked in the sun. A couple of the homeless walked into the enclave in the corner right behind baby. That's the park's homeless restroom facilities.
At about 11:45am, a young babe walked into the park. I could see her walking along the main promenade. She dragged along one of those rolling suitcases. In addition, baby toted at least one small duffel bag. Immediately, I knew that she was homeless. Baby said, "Hi," and sat at the other end of the bench that I was sitting on. Baby was dressed fairly nice. In fact, baby could qualify as a young hottie. Sadly, I could see bruises along the back of her arms and close to the nape of her neck. I wondered how baby found herself in such a predicament, but I did not ask. A couple of times, I observed her laughing and smiling for no particular reason. At 12:15pm, I departed for the gym.
After my usual workout at the gym, I made my way back to Slob Manor (read: rental housing) with no bus-related incidents. Thanks goodness. I had a run-in with a couple of local morons during my bus ride earlier in the morning. I was back in my squalid room by 3pm. Naturally, I piddled around for the rest of the afternoon. I washed the tires of my Nissan® Frontier truck at 6pm. Yes, that's right, I washed only the tires. For the two years that I have owned the truck, the raised outline white letters have been hidden by grime. I always spray the tires down with No Touch® tire cleaner. At least the tires always look nice and black. Well, I scrubbed the white letters with a Scotchbrite® pad. Much better now.
I briefly thought about the homeless hottie and all of the other homeless that I have seen on a regular basis. Then, I thought about the mockery of my homeless guy emulation. Yeah, there I was at 6pm in front of Slob Manor, scrubbing the tires of a truck that I paid for with $24,500 in cash about two years ago. I have no idea what the true pain and suffering of homelessness really is.
I decided to drive to Kahala Mall at 7:30pm. That would be my big outing for the week. I stopped by Longs® to purchase more cans of beans (for quasi-homeless guy emulation). I then spent some time at Barnes & Noble®. The Asian hottie "bookseller" walked into the store at 8:30pm. Baby was wearing a pair of tight jeans. Mamma mia! Baby is so fine. I saw a few of the other hottie "booksellers" hugging the Asian hottie "bookseller." I surmised that baby will no longer be working there. What a loss.
At about 11:45am, a young babe walked into the park. I could see her walking along the main promenade. She dragged along one of those rolling suitcases. In addition, baby toted at least one small duffel bag. Immediately, I knew that she was homeless. Baby said, "Hi," and sat at the other end of the bench that I was sitting on. Baby was dressed fairly nice. In fact, baby could qualify as a young hottie. Sadly, I could see bruises along the back of her arms and close to the nape of her neck. I wondered how baby found herself in such a predicament, but I did not ask. A couple of times, I observed her laughing and smiling for no particular reason. At 12:15pm, I departed for the gym.
After my usual workout at the gym, I made my way back to Slob Manor (read: rental housing) with no bus-related incidents. Thanks goodness. I had a run-in with a couple of local morons during my bus ride earlier in the morning. I was back in my squalid room by 3pm. Naturally, I piddled around for the rest of the afternoon. I washed the tires of my Nissan® Frontier truck at 6pm. Yes, that's right, I washed only the tires. For the two years that I have owned the truck, the raised outline white letters have been hidden by grime. I always spray the tires down with No Touch® tire cleaner. At least the tires always look nice and black. Well, I scrubbed the white letters with a Scotchbrite® pad. Much better now.
I briefly thought about the homeless hottie and all of the other homeless that I have seen on a regular basis. Then, I thought about the mockery of my homeless guy emulation. Yeah, there I was at 6pm in front of Slob Manor, scrubbing the tires of a truck that I paid for with $24,500 in cash about two years ago. I have no idea what the true pain and suffering of homelessness really is.
I decided to drive to Kahala Mall at 7:30pm. That would be my big outing for the week. I stopped by Longs® to purchase more cans of beans (for quasi-homeless guy emulation). I then spent some time at Barnes & Noble®. The Asian hottie "bookseller" walked into the store at 8:30pm. Baby was wearing a pair of tight jeans. Mamma mia! Baby is so fine. I saw a few of the other hottie "booksellers" hugging the Asian hottie "bookseller." I surmised that baby will no longer be working there. What a loss.
I drove back to Slob Manor at 9:30pm. I had the whole place to myself, so I elected to commence some cheap boozin' along with a marathon of DI.FM Deep House channel. Yep, same ol' shit.
Friday, February 15, 2008
Red to Blue
"For me, the first issue is the political system itself which is indistinguishable from the corporatocracy. The Democratic and Republican parties are de facto extensions of corporate America. Unless a candidate is systemically embedded in the corporatocracy, not only for the purpose of raising money, but in order to insure electability, she/he cannot succeed. Candidates from the Green Party or others such as Kucinich and Paul, are unequivocally consigned to the periphery, and while they may add fascinating nuances from the media-image perspective, they have exactly a snowball's chance in hell of prevailing. And while I could cast my vote for one of the peripheral candidates as a moral statement, it would be meaningless in terms of affecting change. In summary, if my vote won't make a difference, I'm not willing to cast it." -- Carolyn BakerNothing starts the morning off better than a cup of Seattle's Best® coffee from Safeway® in Kauapa Kai. Moms was home when I arrived. Moms had just been chatting with Aunty Maria on the phone. Aunty Maria seems to be doing fine. Aunty Maria had gone to visit Aunty Margaret in the hospital. From what we are to understand, Aunty Margaret is not doing well. Aunty Maria does not think that she will hang on for much longer.
I washed my Nissan® Frontier truck again because it was so filthy. Although I park it on the side street adjacent to Slob Manor (read: rental housing), it was coated with dirt because of a massive yard project in progress at one of the nearby houses. Moms completed a few chores. Then, we were off to Koko Marina to make the usual rounds. Later, moms served up leftover Curry Stew for lunch along with fresh vegetables. 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. In retrospect, I should have just stayed in Hawai'i Kai. I did my usual workout at the gym in town. There's a "Test Drive a Trainer" promotion going on. I noted that the hottie gym trainer had only one person requesting a free session with her. Baby has really been keeping a low profile. Why? When I exited the gym, I thought of riding one of the express buses back to Hawai'i Kai, but opted for the Route 1L bus instead. The four o' clock bus never came by. I ended up walking to another bus stop in order to board the Route 80 Express.
After I drove out of the parking lot, I made a quick stop at Safeway® before returning to Slob Manor. I purchased two Tina's® burritos for dinner, an air-filled energy bar for a late evening snack, and a bottle of Sea Ridge Merlot for more cheap boozin' fun. I was back in my squalid room by 6pm. I noticed that the carpenter ants had invaded my room en masse. By the way, my humble dustpan and brush also doubles as a weapon of mass ant destruction (WMAD). I successfully deployed the WMAD for the rest of the evening. Otherwise, same ol' shit.
Incidentally, the lead quote by Carolyn Baker is from her recent article titled, "Celebrating Un-President's Day: Why I Will Not Vote for a President in 2008." Frankly, I completely agree with Baker. Be sure to read the section, "The Life And Death Issues Eclipsed By Election Hysteria." After reading the article, I knew that cheap boozin' time had arrived. Ho boy!
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Snake Charmer
"What is romance, after all ... but the willingness and eagerness to see something more than is really there ... or overlook something that really is? We look into our lover's eyes ... and see what we want to see, something grander, sweeter, nicer than others might notice. And why not? No matter where we look, we see what we train our eyes to look for. If we want to see evil and cupidity ... we will open our eyes and they will be right in front of us. If we want to see beauty and benevolence, we will see that too. And the most remarkable thing ... sometimes, looking is creating. Because we are looking for it ... and seeing it - suddenly, it is really there." -- Bill Bonner, Daily ReckoningSnake Charmer's Day. That's when all of the world's snake oil salesmen crawl out of the woodwork. For the rank-and-file consumer peon, this is the dreaded Pink Heart Day. I have no interest in the latter as opposed to the former. Pink Heart Day is meaningless in the grand scheme of homeless guy emulation. Of course, had the hottie gym trainer come around, I might have been singing a different tune. However, that is neither here or there.
With that, Pink Heart Day is no different from any other homeless guy emulation kind-of-a-day. This day being no different, we already know the drill. I spent most of the day in the inner sanctum (read: inner courtyard) of the library. And, what a sanctuary it is! Sadly, I continued reading a distressing book by David Sirota titled, "Hostile Takeover: How Big Money and Corruption Conquered Our Government--and How We Take It Back." If only I owned a blood pressure monitor, I ket saying to myself. I did my usual workout at the gym. Sadly, I did not see the hottie gym trainer. Boohoo. I was back in my squalid room at Slob Manor (read: rental housing) by 4:45pm. I was able to enjoy a dinner worthy of any snake charmer. Yes, beans and bread. I will continue the new tradition of staying in for the evenings. Where am I to go on Pink Heart Day? Nowhere, obviously. If necessary, the vino is chillin' in the fridge. I can celebrate the one-man recession alone. Only I am to suffer as the world around me gets richer and greedier. I am happy where I am. I know my place in life.
So, Barack Obama is now the Demo frontrunner in the presidential primaries. Ho hum. I'm not even sure why I wasted valuable "blog" space and time to make such a benign comment. The empire barrels on and will soon bowl us over. We are being manipulated.
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Optimized for Empire
Another day of visiting with moms has come and gone. Moms shopped at Foodland in Koko Marina and Longs® in Kuapa Kai. We picked up a couple of Teriyaki Steak plate lunches at L&L Drive Inn. Later, I ended up walking to the gym in Koko Marina. I did my usual workout.
I had to stop off at Safeway® and Longs® in Kuapa Kai on the way back to Slob Manor (read: rental housing). Yep, more cans of beans, a bottle of Sea Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon (for cheap boozin'), and two Tina's® burritos for dinner. I performed the dreaded laundry chores once I returned to my squalid room. As usual, I dropped one of my socks on the floor as I was taking the load of laundry to the washer. Since I only use one pair, I will have to make do with one clean sock and one soiled sock for the next few days.
I heated up the burritos in the Slob Manor microwave oven (a disgustingly filthy piece of equipment) as usual, that is, after fighting with the crappy plastic wrapping. Halfway through the heating process, I turn the burrito around to insure more uniform heating. As is always the case, the microwave oven heats the burrito to a superhot temperature. Most times, I burn the inside of my mouth as I attempt to eat the piece of crap, or the filling drips onto my hands and cause third-degree burns. There really is little enjoyment in the consumption of food heated up in a microwave oven.
Well, the stock market is rallying again. The latest news is that the recession has been averted. That's right. There will be no recession. January retail sales peaked, which indicated that consumers were doing their patriotic duty. Spend, spend, spend! I have seen the phenomena with my own eyes. It's time to invest in stocks or stock mutual funds because the prediction is that the Dow going to hit 30,000-plus. The sky is the limit! One cautionary note is in order, although anecdotal in nature. I have observed that the computer RAM that I had purchased for $29 last month has increased in price to $32 this month. Yes, we are looking at inflation. Heck, what do I know? I'm losing money while everyone else is getting rich and living "high on the hog." It is I who is the fool. Why did I doubt the empire?
There has been a multitude of software updates from Microsoft®, no doubt in preparation for Service Pack 1 for Windows® Vista. I had hoped to be free of Windows® Vista before the Service Pack 1 installation. However, my migration to Linux was thwarted by my very computer, the infamous Toshiba® Satellite. I have also been disabling unnecessary services in order to increase the speed of the computer, although it is already quite fast. In addition, I have disabled file indexing. Now that the empire is making a major comeback, I must have my notebook computer honed to perfection. Sheesh!
Another evening in my squalid room is coming and going. Oh, the horror! In a matter of minutes, cheap boozin' time will arrive. My computer, a couple of glasses of wine, a filthy living environment ... what more can a loser (read: monk) ask for? Well, how about having the hottie gym trainer come around? Heck, that's too much to ask. Let's just keep it real, eh? Cheap boozin', my Toshiba® Satellite notebook computer (fully optimized for the return of empire), and DI.FM Deep House channel.
I had to stop off at Safeway® and Longs® in Kuapa Kai on the way back to Slob Manor (read: rental housing). Yep, more cans of beans, a bottle of Sea Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon (for cheap boozin'), and two Tina's® burritos for dinner. I performed the dreaded laundry chores once I returned to my squalid room. As usual, I dropped one of my socks on the floor as I was taking the load of laundry to the washer. Since I only use one pair, I will have to make do with one clean sock and one soiled sock for the next few days.
I heated up the burritos in the Slob Manor microwave oven (a disgustingly filthy piece of equipment) as usual, that is, after fighting with the crappy plastic wrapping. Halfway through the heating process, I turn the burrito around to insure more uniform heating. As is always the case, the microwave oven heats the burrito to a superhot temperature. Most times, I burn the inside of my mouth as I attempt to eat the piece of crap, or the filling drips onto my hands and cause third-degree burns. There really is little enjoyment in the consumption of food heated up in a microwave oven.
Well, the stock market is rallying again. The latest news is that the recession has been averted. That's right. There will be no recession. January retail sales peaked, which indicated that consumers were doing their patriotic duty. Spend, spend, spend! I have seen the phenomena with my own eyes. It's time to invest in stocks or stock mutual funds because the prediction is that the Dow going to hit 30,000-plus. The sky is the limit! One cautionary note is in order, although anecdotal in nature. I have observed that the computer RAM that I had purchased for $29 last month has increased in price to $32 this month. Yes, we are looking at inflation. Heck, what do I know? I'm losing money while everyone else is getting rich and living "high on the hog." It is I who is the fool. Why did I doubt the empire?
There has been a multitude of software updates from Microsoft®, no doubt in preparation for Service Pack 1 for Windows® Vista. I had hoped to be free of Windows® Vista before the Service Pack 1 installation. However, my migration to Linux was thwarted by my very computer, the infamous Toshiba® Satellite. I have also been disabling unnecessary services in order to increase the speed of the computer, although it is already quite fast. In addition, I have disabled file indexing. Now that the empire is making a major comeback, I must have my notebook computer honed to perfection. Sheesh!
Another evening in my squalid room is coming and going. Oh, the horror! In a matter of minutes, cheap boozin' time will arrive. My computer, a couple of glasses of wine, a filthy living environment ... what more can a loser (read: monk) ask for? Well, how about having the hottie gym trainer come around? Heck, that's too much to ask. Let's just keep it real, eh? Cheap boozin', my Toshiba® Satellite notebook computer (fully optimized for the return of empire), and DI.FM Deep House channel.
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Desperately Seeking Nothing
We already know the drill, don't we? Another homeless guy emulation kind-of-a-day has (fill in the blank). The highlight of my day was when I saw the hottie gym trainer walking along Hotel Street this afternoon on her way to gym. I passed baby as I was walking to the bus stop at Chinatown Gateway Plaza. Baby was looking hot. Segue to Slob Manor (read: rental housing) at 4:45pm. Time to begin the routine ... same ol' shit. Thank goodness, there's still some vino left. In the old days, a bottle of vino would have been empty in a couple of hours. Sheesh!
The stock market rallied on word that George Soros will save the bond insurers, the ones that are ready to collapse because of the dubious bond market. But, that's just the tip of the iceberg, so to speak. Baha! Ha! Ha! Haaaa! Bring on the secular Apocalypse already! Baha! Ha! Ha! Haaaa! Too bad the hottie gym trainer won't come around. Baha! Ha! Ha! Haaaa!
The stock market rallied on word that George Soros will save the bond insurers, the ones that are ready to collapse because of the dubious bond market. But, that's just the tip of the iceberg, so to speak. Baha! Ha! Ha! Haaaa! Bring on the secular Apocalypse already! Baha! Ha! Ha! Haaaa! Too bad the hottie gym trainer won't come around. Baha! Ha! Ha! Haaaa!
Monday, February 11, 2008
Time is Destiny
I was really in no mood to attend Uncle Tosh's funeral, but I capitulated to moms' obligation to be there. The funeral at Hosoi Gardens Mortuary was small. Only the immediate family attended the service. Aunty Eva and her daughters Diane and Tammy flew in from Cali to attend the service as well. Moms sat in the first row with the remainder of moms' siblings. After the service, lunch was served. I had a chance to chat with a few of the relatives, mostly of the small-talk variety. My bro and sister-in-law were there for a brief period. What is entirely ludicrous is that I did not even bother wearing the ridiculous pair of canvas shoes that I had purchased at Payless® Shoes last week.
At 12;15pm, we had to depart for the service at Punchbowl National Cemetary. Moms rode in the huge SUV stretch limosine with the other of the family including Aunty Maria, the widow. I drove separately and was the last to arrive. The military ceremony was identical to the one for pops seven years ago. Uncle Tosh's ashes were placed in his final resting place in Court Eleven. As we walked there, I located pops' final resting place in Court Five. There are now three uncles and pops buried at Punchbowl.
Moms and I drove back to Hawai'i Kai after the ceremony. I chatted with moms briefly. Then, I drove to Koko Marina. Actually, I parked adjacent to the library and walked to the gym. I only did a cardio workout. After my shower, I walked to the main part of the shopping center and sat on one of the benches. I watched an endless stream of 4000-pound motorized chairs (read: automobiles) chugging in and out of the parking lot. Many of the satanic gargoyles were simply dropping off a DVD or two at Blockbuster®. After a while, I grew nauseous of the spectacle.
I retrieved my truck and reluctanly stopped off in Kuapa Kai. I purchased more cans of beans at Long's®. I also purchased a couple of Fuji apples and two Tina's® burritos at Safeway®. I was back in my squalid room at Slob Manor (read: rental housing) by 5pm. I piddled around after stacking up all of my cans of beans. Then, I ate the frozen burritos for dinner. My day was essentially over.
For the most part, I was numbed throughout the day by my perception of infinite vanity. I reflected on Uncle Tosh's decision to end his life. He was in full control of his faculties, so he knew exactly what he was doing. Will I have the same stength to do so if I find myself in the same situation? All kinds of stupidity was transpiring around me, yet I was unmoved to react. Idiots in traffic. Rude clowns in the stores. Even the checkout babe at Longs® was spared fire and brimstone when she carelessly threw the plastic bag filled with the canned beans onto the counter causing a can to fall to the floor. All of those fools mean nothing to me. They are too busy being cogs in the "system," performing their functions on cue. Perhaps moms knew best by urging me to attend Uncle Tosh's funeral. I was reminded of the limits of mortality and the vanity of denial.
My cousins Greg and Christine provided further details about Aunty Margaret. Apparently, her health has been deteriorating. Aunty Margaret has been suffering from chemical imbalances as well, which probably was what caused her to fall backwards. A neighbor discovered her the next day on the floor. So, Aunty Margaret may have been lying on the floor incapacitated for a whole day. After a week in the hospital, Aunty Margaret was released and put into a "private" nursing home. Now, she's back in the hospital because of sodium depletion. The decision awaiting is whether to put Aunty Margaret into a convalescent facility.
The day was long and arduous in its own way. I have no desire to think about banal shit like the load of laundry that's been sitting in the dryer for two days, most likely a deliberate attempt by Sushant, the Indian guy, to irritate me. He's a polite fellow, but I believe that he has been indoctrinated by the putrid Raj-supremacist thinking of the colonial British. Perhaps he will have a rude awakening when his H1-B visa expires. Where's Lou Dobbs when you need him? Baha! Ha! Ha! Haaa! The rest of the evening? Same ol' shit. Maybe even another glass or two of vino.
At 12;15pm, we had to depart for the service at Punchbowl National Cemetary. Moms rode in the huge SUV stretch limosine with the other of the family including Aunty Maria, the widow. I drove separately and was the last to arrive. The military ceremony was identical to the one for pops seven years ago. Uncle Tosh's ashes were placed in his final resting place in Court Eleven. As we walked there, I located pops' final resting place in Court Five. There are now three uncles and pops buried at Punchbowl.
Moms and I drove back to Hawai'i Kai after the ceremony. I chatted with moms briefly. Then, I drove to Koko Marina. Actually, I parked adjacent to the library and walked to the gym. I only did a cardio workout. After my shower, I walked to the main part of the shopping center and sat on one of the benches. I watched an endless stream of 4000-pound motorized chairs (read: automobiles) chugging in and out of the parking lot. Many of the satanic gargoyles were simply dropping off a DVD or two at Blockbuster®. After a while, I grew nauseous of the spectacle.
I retrieved my truck and reluctanly stopped off in Kuapa Kai. I purchased more cans of beans at Long's®. I also purchased a couple of Fuji apples and two Tina's® burritos at Safeway®. I was back in my squalid room at Slob Manor (read: rental housing) by 5pm. I piddled around after stacking up all of my cans of beans. Then, I ate the frozen burritos for dinner. My day was essentially over.
For the most part, I was numbed throughout the day by my perception of infinite vanity. I reflected on Uncle Tosh's decision to end his life. He was in full control of his faculties, so he knew exactly what he was doing. Will I have the same stength to do so if I find myself in the same situation? All kinds of stupidity was transpiring around me, yet I was unmoved to react. Idiots in traffic. Rude clowns in the stores. Even the checkout babe at Longs® was spared fire and brimstone when she carelessly threw the plastic bag filled with the canned beans onto the counter causing a can to fall to the floor. All of those fools mean nothing to me. They are too busy being cogs in the "system," performing their functions on cue. Perhaps moms knew best by urging me to attend Uncle Tosh's funeral. I was reminded of the limits of mortality and the vanity of denial.
My cousins Greg and Christine provided further details about Aunty Margaret. Apparently, her health has been deteriorating. Aunty Margaret has been suffering from chemical imbalances as well, which probably was what caused her to fall backwards. A neighbor discovered her the next day on the floor. So, Aunty Margaret may have been lying on the floor incapacitated for a whole day. After a week in the hospital, Aunty Margaret was released and put into a "private" nursing home. Now, she's back in the hospital because of sodium depletion. The decision awaiting is whether to put Aunty Margaret into a convalescent facility.
The day was long and arduous in its own way. I have no desire to think about banal shit like the load of laundry that's been sitting in the dryer for two days, most likely a deliberate attempt by Sushant, the Indian guy, to irritate me. He's a polite fellow, but I believe that he has been indoctrinated by the putrid Raj-supremacist thinking of the colonial British. Perhaps he will have a rude awakening when his H1-B visa expires. Where's Lou Dobbs when you need him? Baha! Ha! Ha! Haaa! The rest of the evening? Same ol' shit. Maybe even another glass or two of vino.
Sunday, February 10, 2008
Cheap Boozin'
Yet another homeless guy emulation kind-of-a-day has been flushed down the urinal (not to be confused with the Diploma Mill). I am now in my ninth month of retirement (i.e., emancipation from wage slavery aka unemployment). I have become lethargic and ineffectual. Events that have transpired recently only served to make me indifferent to my own life. I lack both purpose and meaning. I have also come to the conclusion that, even though I am emulating a homeless guy, I am still far above the homeless insofar as my standard-of-living is concerned. I have learned useful scavenging tips from the homeless, though. No doubt, I can further extend my scavenging skills when the time comes. I am now in survival mode. I only do what it takes to survive. Nothing more, nothing less.
The highlight of my day was when I saw that the hottie gym trainer was on duty at the gym. Baby was looking gorgeous as usual. Alas, too bad baby won't come around, eh? I did my usual Monday workout because I have no idea what my schedule will be like tomorrow. I was back in my squalid room at Slob Manor (read: rental housing) by 3:15pm. I popped open a can of tuna and ate its contents along with a couple of pieces of bread. That sufficed as an early dinner. I piddled around for the rest of the afternoon. I popped open a can of Libby's® Vienna Sausages (not to be confused with the Vienna Sausage) for a snack at 5:30pm. Yum! The whole day was really quite nice, starting out overcast, but ending up with the trademark tropical sun and gentle trade winds.
The landlord stopped by at about 6pm. I was just walking back from putting a few things in my truck parked around the corner. The latest news is that the landlord now wants to move in to one of the studios in the back of the main house. So, Sushant (if he stays) and I can remain upstairs. The landlord plans to evict the babe who is living in the rearmost studio but also give her the option to move into one of the rooms downstairs in the house. Just then, baby drove in to the driveway home with her boyfriend. Baby quickly ran back to the studio after parking her car when she saw the landlord conversing with me. The landlord ran after her, which freed me to leave. Baby's boyfriend sat in the car. He's not supposed to be living with baby, but he is anyway. What's funny is witnessing how no one wants to talk with the landlord.
Later, I was beside myself to find something to do. So, I drove to Kahala Mall again. I dropped off a package of crap at the Goodwill dropbox. I stopped by Longs® and stocked up on Van Camp's® Pork and Beans. I wanted to purchase a couple of Cheesy Bean and Rice Burritos at Taco Bell® for old times' sake, but I was denied that pleasure. Dumbfounded, I walked to Barnes & Noble®. However, I was not in the mood to peruse anything. So, off into the dark I drove.
I decided to stop at Foodland in the Aina Haina Shopping Center again. I purchased a bottle of Fox Brook Merlot wine, a corkscrew, and a frozen burrito. I had to purchase another corkscrew because I had donated my nice one to Goodwill when I went "on the wagon" for good. So, here I am in my squalid room in Slob Manor, just finished eating the burrito, and now sipping the off-brand wine. I'm making a silent toast to Uncle Tosh, I say to myself, but that's a crock of shit. I'm on the downhill slide. Nah, I'm in search of "myself." Baha! Ha! Ha! Haaaa!
I am already certain that my current adventure is due to stray off-course. I won't be alone because we are all "going to hell in a handbasket." Our life-styles are unsustainable. About one half of the world's population is living in abject poverty as a result of the empire's vortex of consumption and illicit hegemonic practices. The Laws of Thermodynamics stress equilibrium and, eventually, there will be an equilization of forces. We will have to sacrifice a lot. I have already begun my sacrifice, so I do not anticipate being taken by surprise. Heck, I might as well enjoy some cheap wine while I can. It sure tastes better than cheap brewskis. Sheesh!
The highlight of my day was when I saw that the hottie gym trainer was on duty at the gym. Baby was looking gorgeous as usual. Alas, too bad baby won't come around, eh? I did my usual Monday workout because I have no idea what my schedule will be like tomorrow. I was back in my squalid room at Slob Manor (read: rental housing) by 3:15pm. I popped open a can of tuna and ate its contents along with a couple of pieces of bread. That sufficed as an early dinner. I piddled around for the rest of the afternoon. I popped open a can of Libby's® Vienna Sausages (not to be confused with the Vienna Sausage) for a snack at 5:30pm. Yum! The whole day was really quite nice, starting out overcast, but ending up with the trademark tropical sun and gentle trade winds.
The landlord stopped by at about 6pm. I was just walking back from putting a few things in my truck parked around the corner. The latest news is that the landlord now wants to move in to one of the studios in the back of the main house. So, Sushant (if he stays) and I can remain upstairs. The landlord plans to evict the babe who is living in the rearmost studio but also give her the option to move into one of the rooms downstairs in the house. Just then, baby drove in to the driveway home with her boyfriend. Baby quickly ran back to the studio after parking her car when she saw the landlord conversing with me. The landlord ran after her, which freed me to leave. Baby's boyfriend sat in the car. He's not supposed to be living with baby, but he is anyway. What's funny is witnessing how no one wants to talk with the landlord.
Later, I was beside myself to find something to do. So, I drove to Kahala Mall again. I dropped off a package of crap at the Goodwill dropbox. I stopped by Longs® and stocked up on Van Camp's® Pork and Beans. I wanted to purchase a couple of Cheesy Bean and Rice Burritos at Taco Bell® for old times' sake, but I was denied that pleasure. Dumbfounded, I walked to Barnes & Noble®. However, I was not in the mood to peruse anything. So, off into the dark I drove.
I decided to stop at Foodland in the Aina Haina Shopping Center again. I purchased a bottle of Fox Brook Merlot wine, a corkscrew, and a frozen burrito. I had to purchase another corkscrew because I had donated my nice one to Goodwill when I went "on the wagon" for good. So, here I am in my squalid room in Slob Manor, just finished eating the burrito, and now sipping the off-brand wine. I'm making a silent toast to Uncle Tosh, I say to myself, but that's a crock of shit. I'm on the downhill slide. Nah, I'm in search of "myself." Baha! Ha! Ha! Haaaa!
I am already certain that my current adventure is due to stray off-course. I won't be alone because we are all "going to hell in a handbasket." Our life-styles are unsustainable. About one half of the world's population is living in abject poverty as a result of the empire's vortex of consumption and illicit hegemonic practices. The Laws of Thermodynamics stress equilibrium and, eventually, there will be an equilization of forces. We will have to sacrifice a lot. I have already begun my sacrifice, so I do not anticipate being taken by surprise. Heck, I might as well enjoy some cheap wine while I can. It sure tastes better than cheap brewskis. Sheesh!
Saturday, February 09, 2008
Recession Illusion
Another homeless guy emulation kind-of-a-day has careened off the road into a ditch. We already know the drill. The only enjoyment that I seem to derive during my homeless guy emulation is when I sit in the sanctuary of the inner courtyard of the library and when I walk through the gardens in the Capitol district. The beauty of nature is my only redemption. After my usual workout at the gym, I was treated to another bus nightmare. Nothing out of the ordinary, however. When I arrived at Slob Manor (read: rental housing), I decided to wash my Nissan® Frontier truck. Once I completed the task, I piddled around in my squalid room. I ate my usual dinner consisting of beans and bread.
With nothing else better to do for the evening, I drove to Kahala Mall. I just did not feel like riding the bus with the usual cretins. I spent about 90 minutes in Barnes & Noble®. The place was packed as was the whole mall. Apparently, there is no recession. Myriad satanic gargoyles were buying anything and everything in sight. I was shocked. I stopped by Foodland in the Aina Haina Shopping Center on the way back to Slob Manor. The price of food items have really gone up. Once again, I was shocked. My usual cans of beans are now as high as $2.49 per can on sale. Can you believe that crap? I procured a carton of milk, a couple of navel oranges, and a big-ass can of Foster's® brewski. Once back in my squalid room, I engaged in the same ol' shit with the exception that I had the big-ass can of brewski for a distraction. Sheesh!
The coming recession/depression may not be bad at all. In fact, the whole event was planned. "Globalization" enforced by the empire's military has enabled the same empire to open markets allowing the free flow of capital as well as products to and from the victimized nation-states. In the meantime, the empire's own citizens are being separated into either the poor or elite classes. Of course, the majority will end up in the poor and impoverished classes by default. The empire is being hollowed out, with only its military apparatus remaining fully intact and expanding. Capital flow from the empire's business sector has been flowing outward. Investments are being made in the "globalized" third-world nations, particularly ones rich with resources of one kind or another. Chicago School (i.e., Milton Friedman) "globalized" economies are required to "privatize" national assets. Thus, the empire's business sector has been buying up those assets at "fire sale" prices. War-torn or fourth-world nations will receive an influx of capital to build or replace infrastructure courtesy of the empire's business sector. The empire labels such activity as "exports." The idea is very similar to what Japanese firms such as Toyota® practice. Unable to sell to its own population, Toyota® is geared primarily for exports. The foreign firms even build lucrative manufacturing plants on the soil of its export target, on face value adding insult to injury. The empire's business sector has obviously forfeited all of its consumer-based industries and manufacturing concerns. Yet, the latter were mature industries that had to be divested or "off-shored" because production costs (mostly labor) were too high. Which brings me to the conundrum of the recession, the dissolution of the middle class, debt, deficits, and so forth.
Dick "Shotgun" Cheney has stated that, "Deficits don't matter." By the same token, he would probably assert that debts don't matter. One thing about Cheney, he has the cajonés to use the name "Dick." The Shrub administration has invoked huge tax cuts for businesses and the elite class, thereby reducing the empire's revenue stream. Then again, most of the savvy corporations have already left for tax safe havens abroad.
With nothing else better to do for the evening, I drove to Kahala Mall. I just did not feel like riding the bus with the usual cretins. I spent about 90 minutes in Barnes & Noble®. The place was packed as was the whole mall. Apparently, there is no recession. Myriad satanic gargoyles were buying anything and everything in sight. I was shocked. I stopped by Foodland in the Aina Haina Shopping Center on the way back to Slob Manor. The price of food items have really gone up. Once again, I was shocked. My usual cans of beans are now as high as $2.49 per can on sale. Can you believe that crap? I procured a carton of milk, a couple of navel oranges, and a big-ass can of Foster's® brewski. Once back in my squalid room, I engaged in the same ol' shit with the exception that I had the big-ass can of brewski for a distraction. Sheesh!
The coming recession/depression may not be bad at all. In fact, the whole event was planned. "Globalization" enforced by the empire's military has enabled the same empire to open markets allowing the free flow of capital as well as products to and from the victimized nation-states. In the meantime, the empire's own citizens are being separated into either the poor or elite classes. Of course, the majority will end up in the poor and impoverished classes by default. The empire is being hollowed out, with only its military apparatus remaining fully intact and expanding. Capital flow from the empire's business sector has been flowing outward. Investments are being made in the "globalized" third-world nations, particularly ones rich with resources of one kind or another. Chicago School (i.e., Milton Friedman) "globalized" economies are required to "privatize" national assets. Thus, the empire's business sector has been buying up those assets at "fire sale" prices. War-torn or fourth-world nations will receive an influx of capital to build or replace infrastructure courtesy of the empire's business sector. The empire labels such activity as "exports." The idea is very similar to what Japanese firms such as Toyota® practice. Unable to sell to its own population, Toyota® is geared primarily for exports. The foreign firms even build lucrative manufacturing plants on the soil of its export target, on face value adding insult to injury. The empire's business sector has obviously forfeited all of its consumer-based industries and manufacturing concerns. Yet, the latter were mature industries that had to be divested or "off-shored" because production costs (mostly labor) were too high. Which brings me to the conundrum of the recession, the dissolution of the middle class, debt, deficits, and so forth.
Dick "Shotgun" Cheney has stated that, "Deficits don't matter." By the same token, he would probably assert that debts don't matter. One thing about Cheney, he has the cajonés to use the name "Dick." The Shrub administration has invoked huge tax cuts for businesses and the elite class, thereby reducing the empire's revenue stream. Then again, most of the savvy corporations have already left for tax safe havens abroad.
The assets in the the empire itself are being sold off. Social services are being cut. The empire's operational budget is essentially all borrowed money. The middle class is shrinking because it is impoverished. No tax revenue there. Yet, the empire, specifically its military component, is getting larger. It is my belief that the economy is being hollowed deliberately. I am not altogether certain whether the issue with declining consumer spending is that important. So what if the domestic economy collapses? A few domestic corporations may go under. A few domestic banks may go bust. The impoverished classes will suffer. There will be an explosion of homeless. The prison population will increase dramatically. However, the empire will continue on because of "globalization." Business investment and capital is now external to the empire and enforced by the empire's military.
Thus, the real estate of the empire will be a mess. Most of it will be sold off to foreigners as well as the empire's failing infrastructure. The empire's citizens will be impoverished and enslaved. The internal population will most likely be drastically reduced by attrition (i.e., starvation, disease, etc.). The power of the empire will be projected abroad. Investments will move completely outside of the empire's borders. Money will be made through exploitation of developing nation-states. The stock market will reach new peaks. And, the debts? They will be repudiated. Any entity attempting to collect will face an even larger and more powerful military arm of the empire.
Thus, the real estate of the empire will be a mess. Most of it will be sold off to foreigners as well as the empire's failing infrastructure. The empire's citizens will be impoverished and enslaved. The internal population will most likely be drastically reduced by attrition (i.e., starvation, disease, etc.). The power of the empire will be projected abroad. Investments will move completely outside of the empire's borders. Money will be made through exploitation of developing nation-states. The stock market will reach new peaks. And, the debts? They will be repudiated. Any entity attempting to collect will face an even larger and more powerful military arm of the empire.
Friday, February 08, 2008
Blinded by Empire
Another homeless guy emulation kind-of-a-day has cloned itself to oblivion. We all know the drill already. The day was almost an exact clone of yesterday. I brought my umbrella this time, though. There was a slight downpour while I was sitting in the inner courtyard of the library. However, the downpour was brief. The remainder of the afternoon was plagued with a continuous and annoying mist-like drizzle. I did my usual workout at the gym. Then, I was back in my squalid room at Slob Manor (read: rental housing) in a flash. Well, not exactly. I was back by 5:15pm. I performed the dreaded laundry chores and ended up wasting a lot of time because I had to do three loads of laundry. The last two loads consisted of two pieces of clothing each. Senility is evidentally creeping up on me. Yes, after I completed the first load of laundry, I found that I overlooked two pieces of soiled clothing. Repeat the last bit of idiocy again ... you get the picture. I thought of stepping out this evening for a breath of fresh air, but quickly changed my mind. Heck, I'm better off sitting in my squalid room all evening. Doing what? Same ol' shit, naturally.
I completed reading Andrew Bacevich's book, "American Empire," while I was at the library. I have now come to greater understanding of the empire. I have also learned some unsettling truths about the empire's involvement in Bosnia and Kosovo. I anticipate that my research will continue on with the recent history of the Balkans.
I completed reading Andrew Bacevich's book, "American Empire," while I was at the library. I have now come to greater understanding of the empire. I have also learned some unsettling truths about the empire's involvement in Bosnia and Kosovo. I anticipate that my research will continue on with the recent history of the Balkans.
If we don’t know history, then we are ready meat for carnivorous politicians and the intellectuals and journalists who supply the carving knives. I am not speaking of the history we learned in school, a history subservient to our political leaders, from the much-admired Founding Fathers to the Presidents of recent years. I mean a history which is honest about the past. If we don’t know that history, then any President can stand up to the battery of microphones, declare that we must go to war, and we will have no basis for challenging him. He will say that the nation is in danger, that democracy and liberty are at stake, and that we must therefore send ships and planes to destroy our new enemy, and we will have no reason to disbelieve him.That's Howard Zinn commenting about "America's Blinders." The article appeared on the Information Clearinghouse site. I found the article to be timely because it pretty much summarized the points in Bacevich's book, "American Empire."
Thursday, February 07, 2008
Pax Moronica
Another homeless guy emulation kind-of-a-day has pushed the envelope of banality. We know the drill already. Sheesh! I have not seen the old local homeless guy in a long time. Let us hope that he has found his way to one of the few homeless shelters. I continued reading Andrew Bacevich's book, "American Empire," at the library. I am finally beginning to grasp the chronology of the empire's demise. I have discovered that much of what we are witnessing in the Shrub administration had its roots in both the Shrub the Elder and Bill Clinton administrations. "American" foreign policy quickly shifted gears after the fall of the Soviet Union. The Pax Americana empire was not accidental. In fact, I am almost certain that the Cold War strategists had planned on the eventual bankruptcy of the Soviet Union and accelerated its demise by means of the so-called "arms race." I was oblivious then, although I had no excuse. I was not a youngster by any means. I was just plain ignorant and fell for the ruse of partisan politics, or "political theater" as Bacevich refers to the charade. How could I have been so stupid?
And, that's really why the moneychangers and powers-that-be have selected the empire to do their bidding. The empire's slaves look upon its military with adoration. What is more important, though, is the empire's culture. Riddled with ignorance and arrogance, that culture is a pervasive force in "selling" its debauched values to the rest of the world population. Indulgence in the "seven sins" is enticing, and it is the most important weapon to achieve "globalization." However, there are regions that have not "bought in" to the concept (i.e., Russia, China, the Middle East). That's where the empire's military option comes into play.
We are looking at the devastation of Iraq and placing the blame on Shrub. However, the campaign against Iraq began under Shrub the Elder. Under Clinton's watch, Iraq's situation worsened with the embargo as well as the continual bombing campaign. I now find that my "good cop, bad cop" thesis of partisan politics has been entirely accurate. The nation is sick. It is infested with satanic gargoyles who are infected with the epidemic of the "seven sins." Its leadership, if one can call it that, is composed of puppets whose strings are being pulled by the moneychangers and the powers-that-be.
The morning commenced with extremely nice weather. The sun was out for once. There was no sign of rain, so I left my umbrella in my squalid room at Slob Manor (read: rental housing). In fact, as I was walking to the library with my cup of coffee from Safeway®, I was relieved to benefit from the shade of the large banyon trees in the Capitol district.
About 30 minutes before I left the library, I noticed that the sky had turned gray. A considerable darkness descended upon the inner courtyard. Then, a sudden downpour erupted. I waited until the rain subsided before walking to the gym. Nonetheless, I was nearly soaked when I set foot in the locker room. Worst of all, I noticed that the new showers were still not operational, a full two days behind schedule now. I did my usual workout. When I exited the gym, there was no rain. No hottie gym trainer either. As I rode the bus back to Slob Manor, I observed that the rain was moving toward the east. We passed through a downpour in the central part of town.
I was safely back in my squalid room at Slob Manor by 5:15pm. We had a slight delay on the bus in Kaimuki because the rear exit doors would not open. The driver followed the standard procedure of restarting the bus. However, that did not solve the problem. I was tempted to tell one of the passengers near the rear doors to push and pull on the rear doors. Fortunately, the driver had called for help. A few minutes later, he walked outside to push and pull on the rear doors. I knew the procedure because the same problem has happened many times before on different Gillig® buses. Had the driver not done so, we would have had to wait for another bus.
At 6pm, the rain finally arrived. A huge downpour commenced and did not stop until 8pm. I had no plans to be anywhere, so the weather was of no concern. I will remain in my squalid room for the rest of the evening. Same ol' shit.
And, that's really why the moneychangers and powers-that-be have selected the empire to do their bidding. The empire's slaves look upon its military with adoration. What is more important, though, is the empire's culture. Riddled with ignorance and arrogance, that culture is a pervasive force in "selling" its debauched values to the rest of the world population. Indulgence in the "seven sins" is enticing, and it is the most important weapon to achieve "globalization." However, there are regions that have not "bought in" to the concept (i.e., Russia, China, the Middle East). That's where the empire's military option comes into play.
We are looking at the devastation of Iraq and placing the blame on Shrub. However, the campaign against Iraq began under Shrub the Elder. Under Clinton's watch, Iraq's situation worsened with the embargo as well as the continual bombing campaign. I now find that my "good cop, bad cop" thesis of partisan politics has been entirely accurate. The nation is sick. It is infested with satanic gargoyles who are infected with the epidemic of the "seven sins." Its leadership, if one can call it that, is composed of puppets whose strings are being pulled by the moneychangers and the powers-that-be.
The morning commenced with extremely nice weather. The sun was out for once. There was no sign of rain, so I left my umbrella in my squalid room at Slob Manor (read: rental housing). In fact, as I was walking to the library with my cup of coffee from Safeway®, I was relieved to benefit from the shade of the large banyon trees in the Capitol district.
About 30 minutes before I left the library, I noticed that the sky had turned gray. A considerable darkness descended upon the inner courtyard. Then, a sudden downpour erupted. I waited until the rain subsided before walking to the gym. Nonetheless, I was nearly soaked when I set foot in the locker room. Worst of all, I noticed that the new showers were still not operational, a full two days behind schedule now. I did my usual workout. When I exited the gym, there was no rain. No hottie gym trainer either. As I rode the bus back to Slob Manor, I observed that the rain was moving toward the east. We passed through a downpour in the central part of town.
I was safely back in my squalid room at Slob Manor by 5:15pm. We had a slight delay on the bus in Kaimuki because the rear exit doors would not open. The driver followed the standard procedure of restarting the bus. However, that did not solve the problem. I was tempted to tell one of the passengers near the rear doors to push and pull on the rear doors. Fortunately, the driver had called for help. A few minutes later, he walked outside to push and pull on the rear doors. I knew the procedure because the same problem has happened many times before on different Gillig® buses. Had the driver not done so, we would have had to wait for another bus.
At 6pm, the rain finally arrived. A huge downpour commenced and did not stop until 8pm. I had no plans to be anywhere, so the weather was of no concern. I will remain in my squalid room for the rest of the evening. Same ol' shit.
Wednesday, February 06, 2008
Piddle (Reprise)
I found myself at Safeway® in Kuapa Kai at 9am this morning in order to satisfy my caffeine addiction. Moms was home when I arrived. I drove moms to Koko Marina. Moms shopped for groceries at Foodland. We then stopped by Loco Moco and Kozo Sushi to pick up our lunch. I ate a Beef Curry plate lunch. Moms served up fresh vegetables and Kim Chee. Lunch was delicious.
I chatted briefly with moms before walking to the gym in Koko Marina. I did my usual workout. I walked back to say good-bye to moms. I had to stop off at Payless® Shoes in the Hawai'i Kai Towne Center to purchase a ridiculous pair of canvas shoes (Airwalk Argyle Twin Gore). Well, hey! The pair was on sale for $17 and I like them! I'll be wearing those shoes to Uncle Tosh's funeral. The chicks who worked at the store were very friendly and helpful. I am not a consumer, so I can safely say that they made my shopping experience tolerable. I also made another stop at Safeway® to purchase a couple of Tina's® burritos for dinner. I finally drove back to Slob Manor (read: rental housing) at 4pm. I piddled away the rest of the afternoon, doing basically nothing. I will spend the entire evening in my squalid room doing what I do best ... same ol' shit.
I chatted briefly with moms before walking to the gym in Koko Marina. I did my usual workout. I walked back to say good-bye to moms. I had to stop off at Payless® Shoes in the Hawai'i Kai Towne Center to purchase a ridiculous pair of canvas shoes (Airwalk Argyle Twin Gore). Well, hey! The pair was on sale for $17 and I like them! I'll be wearing those shoes to Uncle Tosh's funeral. The chicks who worked at the store were very friendly and helpful. I am not a consumer, so I can safely say that they made my shopping experience tolerable. I also made another stop at Safeway® to purchase a couple of Tina's® burritos for dinner. I finally drove back to Slob Manor (read: rental housing) at 4pm. I piddled away the rest of the afternoon, doing basically nothing. I will spend the entire evening in my squalid room doing what I do best ... same ol' shit.
Tuesday, February 05, 2008
Rabid Mutt
Another homeless guy emulation kind-of-a-day has ... you know the drill! I spent a couple of hours in the library reading more of the book, "American Empire," by Andrew Bacevich. It's been hard to put the book down. I have been particularly interested in the history of the George HW Bush and Bill Clinton administrations. Bacevich asserted that, fundamentally, there really was no philosophical difference between either. Most of the "partisan" feuds were what Bacevich called, "political theater" for domestic consumption. The idea that internal and foreign policy were tightly connected became a prevalent theme in both administrations. And, the limitation of domestic free market capitalism was known. Without expanding the market internationally, there would be little room left for domestic growth. Thus, "globalization" as an idea and a policy was borne. Economic policy became political policy.
The problem today is that "gloablization" has essentially gone awry. What was to serve as the basis for economic prosperity for "Americans" ended up hollowing out the domestic economy. After the Cold War ended, the new tool to bring nations in line with the "American way" was "globalization." Sadly, the moneychangers and powers-that-be are not loyal to any nation. They go wherever they stand to profit. In its current incarnation, "globalization" has failed to bring either China or Russia down. Hence, the latter and former nations accumulated massive dollar and foreign exchange reserves. No uprising or revolt resulted, and the governments of both nations are still intact. The only use that the moneychangers and powers-that-be have for the empire, by the way, is its massive military machine, which it intends to keep fully funded. Financially, the empire is bankrupt and is now in debt to several nations including the aforementioned two that it had desired to topple by "globalizing" their respective economies. The empire is at a critical juncture because it can no longer repay its foreign-owned debts. It will continue to hollow out its own economy, cutting more and more social services, letting its infrastructure self-destruct, selling off its assets, all the while lowering taxes for its elite class. Military expenditures will continue to increase and subsume most of the operating budget. However, those activities cannot go on indefinitely.
We are moving closer and closer to a major international conflagration. The empire's frustration now lies with China, Russia, and the assorted Muslim third-world nations who either outsmarted the free market capitalists at their own game or refused to become the rabid consumers that the empire and free market capitalism require to sustain endless growth and profitability. Greed is what thwarted the "system," and war is the only way out. The empire is a trapped rabid mutt. It can only strike out at anything and anyone.
I did my usual workout at the gym before returning to Slob Manor (read: rental housing). I have no interest in the rigged primary elections, so I did not follow the news coverage. I did notice that the stock market plunged allegedly on the bad news that there was a decline in the services sector of the empire. In other words, the rank-and-file wage slaves are not going out to eat and spending lavishly on entertainment as they used to. That's the beauty of an economy that is almost entirely dependent on consumer spending, eh? If the stock market heads for the abyss, the Fed will perform another "emergency" rate cut. And, war will be right over the horizon.
Well, the good news is that I will remain in my squalid room all evening. Doing what? Same ol' shit, of course!
The problem today is that "gloablization" has essentially gone awry. What was to serve as the basis for economic prosperity for "Americans" ended up hollowing out the domestic economy. After the Cold War ended, the new tool to bring nations in line with the "American way" was "globalization." Sadly, the moneychangers and powers-that-be are not loyal to any nation. They go wherever they stand to profit. In its current incarnation, "globalization" has failed to bring either China or Russia down. Hence, the latter and former nations accumulated massive dollar and foreign exchange reserves. No uprising or revolt resulted, and the governments of both nations are still intact. The only use that the moneychangers and powers-that-be have for the empire, by the way, is its massive military machine, which it intends to keep fully funded. Financially, the empire is bankrupt and is now in debt to several nations including the aforementioned two that it had desired to topple by "globalizing" their respective economies. The empire is at a critical juncture because it can no longer repay its foreign-owned debts. It will continue to hollow out its own economy, cutting more and more social services, letting its infrastructure self-destruct, selling off its assets, all the while lowering taxes for its elite class. Military expenditures will continue to increase and subsume most of the operating budget. However, those activities cannot go on indefinitely.
We are moving closer and closer to a major international conflagration. The empire's frustration now lies with China, Russia, and the assorted Muslim third-world nations who either outsmarted the free market capitalists at their own game or refused to become the rabid consumers that the empire and free market capitalism require to sustain endless growth and profitability. Greed is what thwarted the "system," and war is the only way out. The empire is a trapped rabid mutt. It can only strike out at anything and anyone.
I did my usual workout at the gym before returning to Slob Manor (read: rental housing). I have no interest in the rigged primary elections, so I did not follow the news coverage. I did notice that the stock market plunged allegedly on the bad news that there was a decline in the services sector of the empire. In other words, the rank-and-file wage slaves are not going out to eat and spending lavishly on entertainment as they used to. That's the beauty of an economy that is almost entirely dependent on consumer spending, eh? If the stock market heads for the abyss, the Fed will perform another "emergency" rate cut. And, war will be right over the horizon.
Well, the good news is that I will remain in my squalid room all evening. Doing what? Same ol' shit, of course!
Monday, February 04, 2008
Operation Barbarossa
A calm finally descended upon Slob Manor (read: rental housing) by mid-evening. Tobin and Pete are now Slob Manor alumni. So, only Sushant and I are left. The landlord s planning to move us downstairs. However, I do not expect Sushant to stay much longer than another month. I don't mind remaining in Slob Manor. I consider the place to be temporary, so I have no illusions about my subordinate rights.
Spankwire was congested as usual, so I spent my time at The Hermitary. I read the sparse entries in the Hermitary Forum. I was amazed to discover that there actually are monks and hermits just like myself. I read some of the descriptions that people offered of themselves as well as some of their opinions. Let's just say that I was amazed. I also realized that I have to stop thinking about babes like the hottie gym trainer. Spankwire is not doing me any favors either. I also realized that I can never return to the old life-style. I cannot revisit materialism. Nor can I seek out a social life. I must remain in complete solitude as a loner.
I was on my way this morning to Kahala Mall at 8:45am. I spent an hour or so sipping coffee and perusing a few magazines in the Barnes & Noble® Café. I read a very interesting article titled, "The $1.4 Trillion Question," in the Atlantic Monthly, which may answer a lot of questions about why China continues to financialy support the empire.
I met moms outside Longs® at 10:40am. Moms and I ate lunch at Pearl's Korean Barbeque. After lunch, we were on our way to the Aina Haina Shopping Center. Moms had to find out when the AARP volunteer tax preparers were going to be scheduled at the library. Moms also did some grocery shopping at Foodland. Once we returned to Hawai'i Kai, I was able to chat with moms briefly. I had thought about going to town, but I changed my mind. Instead, I walked to the gym in Koko Marina. I did my usual workout. I walked back to say good-bye to moms and retrieve my Nissan® Frontier truck. I made a quick stop at Safeway® to purchase a few grocery items, including two Tina's® burritos for dinner.
Driving back to Slob Manor (read: rental housing), I realized how enticing and the deceiving the "good Life" really is. At best, such a life-syle is unsustainable. Once back in Slob Manor, I did a quick cleaning of the second floor common area. The rest of the day and evening will be ... say it ain't so ... yep, the same ol' shit.
I am not sure how much longer I can keep reading articles such as the one titled, "Kosovo secession linked to NATO expansion," that appeared on the Global Research site. More and more, I have been discovering the real history of the empire. And, frankly, it's not a pretty picture. What is becoming frightening is the prospect that there is an underlying mission to engage in war with Russia, China, or both. The empire's plan, apparently, is to use nuclear weapons in a preemptive first-strike delivered by its tool, NATO. Could there really be a new Operation Barbarossa in the works?
A confrontation with Russia may be a long-term goal of the moneychangers and powers-that-be. In the immediate term, there has been a lot of speculation about recent and upcoming events. Net access for most of the Middle East with the exception of Israel and Iraq has been abruptly cut off and attributed to four "coincidental" and concurrent deep sea cable cuts. Iran has been totally blacked out. Next week, Iran will be opening its oil bourse which will trade in all currencies except the dollar. The Fed has only one percent left in interest rate cuts before reaching the "war level" of two percent. Even more spooky is the fact that the "economic stimulus" package is almost identical to the one implemented seven years ago. We will soon discover whether recent history is repeating itself.
Spankwire was congested as usual, so I spent my time at The Hermitary. I read the sparse entries in the Hermitary Forum. I was amazed to discover that there actually are monks and hermits just like myself. I read some of the descriptions that people offered of themselves as well as some of their opinions. Let's just say that I was amazed. I also realized that I have to stop thinking about babes like the hottie gym trainer. Spankwire is not doing me any favors either. I also realized that I can never return to the old life-style. I cannot revisit materialism. Nor can I seek out a social life. I must remain in complete solitude as a loner.
I was on my way this morning to Kahala Mall at 8:45am. I spent an hour or so sipping coffee and perusing a few magazines in the Barnes & Noble® Café. I read a very interesting article titled, "The $1.4 Trillion Question," in the Atlantic Monthly, which may answer a lot of questions about why China continues to financialy support the empire.
I met moms outside Longs® at 10:40am. Moms and I ate lunch at Pearl's Korean Barbeque. After lunch, we were on our way to the Aina Haina Shopping Center. Moms had to find out when the AARP volunteer tax preparers were going to be scheduled at the library. Moms also did some grocery shopping at Foodland. Once we returned to Hawai'i Kai, I was able to chat with moms briefly. I had thought about going to town, but I changed my mind. Instead, I walked to the gym in Koko Marina. I did my usual workout. I walked back to say good-bye to moms and retrieve my Nissan® Frontier truck. I made a quick stop at Safeway® to purchase a few grocery items, including two Tina's® burritos for dinner.
Driving back to Slob Manor (read: rental housing), I realized how enticing and the deceiving the "good Life" really is. At best, such a life-syle is unsustainable. Once back in Slob Manor, I did a quick cleaning of the second floor common area. The rest of the day and evening will be ... say it ain't so ... yep, the same ol' shit.
I am not sure how much longer I can keep reading articles such as the one titled, "Kosovo secession linked to NATO expansion," that appeared on the Global Research site. More and more, I have been discovering the real history of the empire. And, frankly, it's not a pretty picture. What is becoming frightening is the prospect that there is an underlying mission to engage in war with Russia, China, or both. The empire's plan, apparently, is to use nuclear weapons in a preemptive first-strike delivered by its tool, NATO. Could there really be a new Operation Barbarossa in the works?
A confrontation with Russia may be a long-term goal of the moneychangers and powers-that-be. In the immediate term, there has been a lot of speculation about recent and upcoming events. Net access for most of the Middle East with the exception of Israel and Iraq has been abruptly cut off and attributed to four "coincidental" and concurrent deep sea cable cuts. Iran has been totally blacked out. Next week, Iran will be opening its oil bourse which will trade in all currencies except the dollar. The Fed has only one percent left in interest rate cuts before reaching the "war level" of two percent. Even more spooky is the fact that the "economic stimulus" package is almost identical to the one implemented seven years ago. We will soon discover whether recent history is repeating itself.
Sunday, February 03, 2008
Showdown at Slob Manor
Another homeless guy emulation kind-of-a-day came and went with a whimper. I did my usual workout at the gym. No hottie gym trainer. Actually, hardly anyone was around, thanks to the Super Bowl. With the lack of myriad morons, I was able to run ahead of schedule. I was back in my squalid room at Slob Manor (read: rental housing) by 3pm. Thus, I was able to perform the dreaded laundry chores at a leisurely pace.
At 6:30pm, the relative quiet at Slob Manor was disrupted as Pete and Tobin were readying themselves to move out. The landlord had arrived a few minutes earlier for "check out." Apparently, the question of splitting the cost of damages that resulted from the big party a couple of months ago came up in a heated discussion. Tobin called "Honolulu's Finest," to see if he could have the landlord arrested for trespassing. Sushant got in the mix because he was originally to bear the entire cost of the damages. Two squad cars responded. The rest of the landlord's family showed up as well. Frankly, the situation was totally out of control. I stayed at the sidelines because I have no involvment in the fiasco. I had contemplated making the trek to Kahala Mall this evening. However, the idiocy continued on for a while. Pete was smart enough to square away his deposit and leave. While the confrontation dragged on, I ate my usual fare (i.e., beans and bread) for dinner silently in my squalid room. The rest of the evening? Same ol' shit.
My expenses are still sky-high (a record $2,771), much to my chagrin. I transferred $2,000 from my investment account to my local bank in order to cover the payment of my expenses. Money is rapidly vanishing.
I find it quite humorous how inflation is now no longer a concern of the Fed, or anybody else for that matter. The last time the Fed lowered short-term interest rates to near-zero percent (and created the so-called "housing bubble"), inflation took off. Naturally, few satanic gargoyles cared because home values rose to offset inflation. Sadly, aside from home prices, has the cost of anything else (e.g., petrol, food, etc.) ever come down? Not really. So, too, this new round of Fed-induced inflation. Can I imagine spending $6 for a loaf of bread? Not really, but it's going to happen very soon. Even the price of canned beans is $2 or more right now.
Debt rules! Debt is wealth! That's what we've been told forever. I remember when I was approved for my first credit card with a credit line of $100 maximum. I was elated because I was "establishing" my credit. All these years, the word "credit" kept popping up. Now, it's essential to keep reviewing the idiotic credit score. The word "credit" is synonymous with "debt." We've been brainwashed for decades to believe that debt was the preferable mode to accumulate wealth. Now, debt has come back and bit us all in the ass, a toxic bite that is going to take many of us out. Cheap debt requires infinite "liquidity," which means more and more inflation. When will the rest of the fools figure that out?
Is the damned secular Apocalypse finally coming or not? That's the question enquiring minds want to know. Gerald Celente seems to think so. He is the director of Trends Research Institute. His latest predictions got him sequestered from the "mainstream.”
Finally, guys with big money and small Vienna Sausage can arrange for "private time" with a bevy of hot chicks through Bella Models. Lots of hurdy-gurdy hotties are on call. Check out the reasonable rates. Some of my favorite babes are featured there. Say, why don't we all join?
At 6:30pm, the relative quiet at Slob Manor was disrupted as Pete and Tobin were readying themselves to move out. The landlord had arrived a few minutes earlier for "check out." Apparently, the question of splitting the cost of damages that resulted from the big party a couple of months ago came up in a heated discussion. Tobin called "Honolulu's Finest," to see if he could have the landlord arrested for trespassing. Sushant got in the mix because he was originally to bear the entire cost of the damages. Two squad cars responded. The rest of the landlord's family showed up as well. Frankly, the situation was totally out of control. I stayed at the sidelines because I have no involvment in the fiasco. I had contemplated making the trek to Kahala Mall this evening. However, the idiocy continued on for a while. Pete was smart enough to square away his deposit and leave. While the confrontation dragged on, I ate my usual fare (i.e., beans and bread) for dinner silently in my squalid room. The rest of the evening? Same ol' shit.
My expenses are still sky-high (a record $2,771), much to my chagrin. I transferred $2,000 from my investment account to my local bank in order to cover the payment of my expenses. Money is rapidly vanishing.
I find it quite humorous how inflation is now no longer a concern of the Fed, or anybody else for that matter. The last time the Fed lowered short-term interest rates to near-zero percent (and created the so-called "housing bubble"), inflation took off. Naturally, few satanic gargoyles cared because home values rose to offset inflation. Sadly, aside from home prices, has the cost of anything else (e.g., petrol, food, etc.) ever come down? Not really. So, too, this new round of Fed-induced inflation. Can I imagine spending $6 for a loaf of bread? Not really, but it's going to happen very soon. Even the price of canned beans is $2 or more right now.
Debt rules! Debt is wealth! That's what we've been told forever. I remember when I was approved for my first credit card with a credit line of $100 maximum. I was elated because I was "establishing" my credit. All these years, the word "credit" kept popping up. Now, it's essential to keep reviewing the idiotic credit score. The word "credit" is synonymous with "debt." We've been brainwashed for decades to believe that debt was the preferable mode to accumulate wealth. Now, debt has come back and bit us all in the ass, a toxic bite that is going to take many of us out. Cheap debt requires infinite "liquidity," which means more and more inflation. When will the rest of the fools figure that out?
Is the damned secular Apocalypse finally coming or not? That's the question enquiring minds want to know. Gerald Celente seems to think so. He is the director of Trends Research Institute. His latest predictions got him sequestered from the "mainstream.”
Finally, guys with big money and small Vienna Sausage can arrange for "private time" with a bevy of hot chicks through Bella Models. Lots of hurdy-gurdy hotties are on call. Check out the reasonable rates. Some of my favorite babes are featured there. Say, why don't we all join?
Saturday, February 02, 2008
Power of Consumption
While I stand at the bus stop every morning, I observe thousands of 4000-pound motorized chairs (read: automobiles) whizzing past me. The driver of the 4000-pound motorized chair, usually alone, is smoking cigarettes or gabbing on a cell phone. And there I am, waiting for the bus which is always late. I sit in the rock hard seats which have given me something similar to bed sores. The 4000-pound motorized chairs have very comfortable seating inside an environmentally-controlled bubble. I am also subject to whatever the weather has to offer at any given moment. How do those fools afford such a life-style? Hawai'i is an expensive place to live. Petrol prices, amongst other commodities, are the highest in the empire. Yet, here I am reading that the rank-and-file satanic gargoyles have resorted to using credit cards to just get by. Their average balance is over $9,000 per satanic gargoyle. Can we imagine what the median balance is? Yet, I often feel that I am the poorest guy on the island.
During the course of my typical homeless guy emulation kind-of-a-day, I find that I am surrounded by the economically disenfranchised. I have observed that most of them are living "high on the hog" as opposed to myself. They ride the bus because they cannot afford a car. However, they can afford every other kind of shiny object or useless crap. All I have over them is the fact that I do own a 6000-pound motorized chair (i.e., my Nissan® Frontier truck). I cannot afford to drive it everywhere every single day. In fact, the time is rapidly approaching to divest myself of the truck.
Is everyone here Big Money Grip? They have much more dough than I can even imagine. I cannot just throw down a few hundred dollars here and there. I am eating beans and bread every day, damn it! Pete, one of the housemates, left his W-2 statement lying around. I noticed that he earned a little over $9,000 last year. Of course, he also had another wage slave job. Yet, he was living "high on the hog." Are all of these fools just spending every dime they earn and more?
When I arrived in town this morning, the weather turned bleak. Within minutes of walking to Safeway®, the rain started up. Since I am in no hurry to be anywhere, I can afford to wait until the rain stops. Eventually, I ended up at the library where I engaged in reading yet another enlightening book: "American Empire: The Realities and Consequences of U.S. Diplomacy," written by Andrew Bacevich. It is a fascinating book. However, I have become mentally fatigued from the barrage of truth that I have recently uncovered. In fact, I am no longer certain that I can even remotely participate in society.
I did my usual workout at the gym. I was able to board a bus within minutes of exiting the gym. Thus, I was back in my squalid room at Slob Manor (read: rental housing) by 5pm. The landlord was there supervising the partial moving of Pete and Tobin. They are apparently vacating the premises tomorrow. Once again, I am spending the entire evening in my squalid room. Same ol' shit.
Joel Hirschhorn literally "hit the nail on the head" with the article titled, "The Evolution of Evil." An excerpt:
During the course of my typical homeless guy emulation kind-of-a-day, I find that I am surrounded by the economically disenfranchised. I have observed that most of them are living "high on the hog" as opposed to myself. They ride the bus because they cannot afford a car. However, they can afford every other kind of shiny object or useless crap. All I have over them is the fact that I do own a 6000-pound motorized chair (i.e., my Nissan® Frontier truck). I cannot afford to drive it everywhere every single day. In fact, the time is rapidly approaching to divest myself of the truck.
Is everyone here Big Money Grip? They have much more dough than I can even imagine. I cannot just throw down a few hundred dollars here and there. I am eating beans and bread every day, damn it! Pete, one of the housemates, left his W-2 statement lying around. I noticed that he earned a little over $9,000 last year. Of course, he also had another wage slave job. Yet, he was living "high on the hog." Are all of these fools just spending every dime they earn and more?
When I arrived in town this morning, the weather turned bleak. Within minutes of walking to Safeway®, the rain started up. Since I am in no hurry to be anywhere, I can afford to wait until the rain stops. Eventually, I ended up at the library where I engaged in reading yet another enlightening book: "American Empire: The Realities and Consequences of U.S. Diplomacy," written by Andrew Bacevich. It is a fascinating book. However, I have become mentally fatigued from the barrage of truth that I have recently uncovered. In fact, I am no longer certain that I can even remotely participate in society.
I did my usual workout at the gym. I was able to board a bus within minutes of exiting the gym. Thus, I was back in my squalid room at Slob Manor (read: rental housing) by 5pm. The landlord was there supervising the partial moving of Pete and Tobin. They are apparently vacating the premises tomorrow. Once again, I am spending the entire evening in my squalid room. Same ol' shit.
Joel Hirschhorn literally "hit the nail on the head" with the article titled, "The Evolution of Evil." An excerpt:
The tools of real rebellion are weak. Activists and dissidents look back and see successful rebellions and revolutions and think that when today’s victims of tyranny experience enough pain and see enough political stink they too will revolt. This is wrong. They think that the Internet spreads information and inspiration to the masses, motivating them to revolt. This is wrong. They await catastrophic economic or environmental collapse to spur rebellion. This too is wrong.The article appeared on the Information Clearinghouse site. I've discussed this matter before in the "blog," and I am way ahead of the game.
Why are these beliefs wrong? Power elites have an arsenal of weapons to control and manipulate social, political and economic systems globally: corruption of public officials that make elections a sham; corporate mainstream media that turn news into propaganda; manipulation of financial markets that create fear for the public and profits for the privileged; false free trade globalization that destroys the middle class; rising economic inequality that keep the masses time-poor and financially insecure; intense marketing of pharmaceuticals that keep people passive; and addictive consumerism, entertainment and gambling that keep people distracted and pacified.
I have long ago discarded the idea of the (s)election process as viable. In addition, I had already come to the conclusion that out so-called "two-party" political system is a farce comprised of the worn out "good cop, bad cop" theme. "First, the real power of the masses is as consumers, not as voters, workers, activists, or Internet users," Hirschhorn asserted. He's right. I have discussed the latter in the "blog" as well. The only way to bring down the moneychangers and powers-that-be is to drastically stop consumer spending. I have already implemented the strategy, but the impact of my non-consumption is nill. Nonetheless, the article is a must read.
Friday, February 01, 2008
Wrong is Right (Yet Again and Again)
Oh, another homeless guy emulation kind-of-a-day has ... awww, you know the drill. Sheesh! I had to drop by the City & County Assessor's Office to change the status of the "condotel" unit's homeowner exemption for property taxes.
Then, I stopped by my local bank to obtain the exact payment amount for the "condotel" unit's maintenance fee. I did my usual workout at the gym. I was 30 minutes ahead of schedule, so I rode an earlier Route 1L bus back to Slob Manor (read: rental housing). I was back in my squalid room by 4:15pm. Have the housemates moved out yet? Baha! Ha! Ha! Haaa! There has been no sign of movement. All of their crap is still lying around all over the place. Not a single item has been packed. Well, I will spend the evening in my squalid room again. Same ol' shit.
Earlier at the library, I completed the reading of the book, "The Price of Empire," by J William Fulbright. The last two chapters really drove home quite a few points. The book is only dated by Fulbright's references to the now-defunct Soviet Union. Otherwise, it could easily be mistaken for a recent book as his discussion is truly relevent for our times.
As to be expected, my investment income has been steadily dwindling down to nothing. The amount stated below includes all IRA accounts. My bond fund has jumped in value, which is why my total liquid assets have seemingly remained stable. I expect the stock market "bubble" to kick in again. I will have to transfer most of my bond fund before then. I've already assumed that the Fed will not allow the Dow Industrial Index to go below the 11,000 level. The stock market "bubble" will continue to bloat until the real estate "bubble" can be resurrected (possibly as early as a year from now given the massive "liquidity" that has been injected into the economy). The economy of empire is driven by debt alone. Debt is wealth. Wrong is right. I also made preliminary calculations for my tax returns using my tax spreadsheet. I will owe $1,341 total for Federal and State taxes. The conversion of the "condotel" unit to a rental unit has been costly. I squandered about $2,000 of personal tax deductions as a result. Slowly, but surely, I am being drained of my savings.
I am rapidly learning that the only way to survive and attain some semblance of freedom is to not incur any debt and not to own anything (especially real estate). The best income level to survive at is one where the standard deduction and exemption credit match it, which is basically the poverty level. Living beyond the latter level only insures enslavement.
Earlier at the library, I completed the reading of the book, "The Price of Empire," by J William Fulbright. The last two chapters really drove home quite a few points. The book is only dated by Fulbright's references to the now-defunct Soviet Union. Otherwise, it could easily be mistaken for a recent book as his discussion is truly relevent for our times.
As to be expected, my investment income has been steadily dwindling down to nothing. The amount stated below includes all IRA accounts. My bond fund has jumped in value, which is why my total liquid assets have seemingly remained stable. I expect the stock market "bubble" to kick in again. I will have to transfer most of my bond fund before then. I've already assumed that the Fed will not allow the Dow Industrial Index to go below the 11,000 level. The stock market "bubble" will continue to bloat until the real estate "bubble" can be resurrected (possibly as early as a year from now given the massive "liquidity" that has been injected into the economy). The economy of empire is driven by debt alone. Debt is wealth. Wrong is right. I also made preliminary calculations for my tax returns using my tax spreadsheet. I will owe $1,341 total for Federal and State taxes. The conversion of the "condotel" unit to a rental unit has been costly. I squandered about $2,000 of personal tax deductions as a result. Slowly, but surely, I am being drained of my savings.
I am rapidly learning that the only way to survive and attain some semblance of freedom is to not incur any debt and not to own anything (especially real estate). The best income level to survive at is one where the standard deduction and exemption credit match it, which is basically the poverty level. Living beyond the latter level only insures enslavement.
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