I walked to Kawaikui Beach Park this morning at 7:15am with my Palm® Tx (in music player mode). I really had no idea why I went there. Perhaps the residual of another sleepless night was the reason. I meandered around the park. There were various people who were sitting around and smoking cigarettes. I experienced several good whiffs of second-hand smoke, even though I was well over 100 feet away. I also confirmed that Pete, the pipe-smoking homeless guy, is no longer residing in the park.
I was on my way to Hawai'i Kai at 8:50am in my Nissan® Frontier truck. Moms was home when I arrived. I was surprised to discover that my nephew has returned to school already. When I was a kid many moons ago, I did not go back to school in Fall until September. Moms and I only made the rounds at Koko Marina. For lunch, I retrieved a Beef Curry plate lunch from Loco Moco. Moms purchased a variety of sushi from Kozo Sushi. We brought everything back to the house to eat. Afterward, moms served Foremost® coffee and vanilla ice cream for dessert. I kept moms company until 2pm.
I was immediately able to find shaded parking when I drove back to Koko Marina. So, I followed the usual routine which finally brought me back to Slob Manor (read: rental housing) at 5pm. Another urban nomad kind-of-an-evening awaits me.
Last night, I finally sent e-mail to Capital Pacific Group with a few questions about the alleged forgotten assets. I received a reply today. From what I can tell, the operation is legitimate. It has an "A+" rating from the Sacramento Better Business Bureau®. The assets in question are apparently from stock that was purchased back by Heritage Oaks Bank along with dividends and so forth. From what I can gather, the firm has already contacted Susan, the other party. The assets were liquidated in the year 2000 and were not deliverable because there was no current address on record for either of us. Thus, the original stock certificate of 27 years ago is now invalid. So, I am still listed as a joint tenant. I will most likely proceed with the claim.
Friday, July 31, 2009
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Squandered Life (Reprise)
Another urban nomad kind-of-a-day was besieged by the "existential vacuum." Jared Diamond's book, "Collapse," has certainly been an eye-opening read. Diamond's descriptions are so vivid that I could actually imagine almost myself in the societies that he describes. Humanity has certainly been through myriad trials and tribulations, mostly the result of human stupidity of one kind or another.
I also noted that apparently all ancient societies had some religious dimension, whether there be priests, temples, or monarchs claiming a relationship with the pantheon of available deities. What is the origin of religiosity? Surely there must be a reason aside from the wild imagination of humans.
I ran into Bill, a former Asylum faculty member, in the locker room at the gym as I was exiting. He's taking advantage of the one-week trial membership. I only chatted with him briefly. He has been emancipated from wage slavery a lot longer than me. I have no idea how he survives, but he must have a lot of money stashed away. We'll probably run into each other again.
It's getting to be much more difficult for me to deny that I am simply wasting my life away while also living in an intolerable situation. With the debunking of the religious myth, I am now keenly aware that I only have one life to live. in addition, I have already squandered most of my "good years" doing absolutely nothing of value. Although I can still claim that I am working toward the exodus, I have yet to figure out my exit destination. I still dream of visiting the "Cradle of Civilization" or some other ancient sites. Although I abhor humanity, I am still curious about its origins.
I also noted that apparently all ancient societies had some religious dimension, whether there be priests, temples, or monarchs claiming a relationship with the pantheon of available deities. What is the origin of religiosity? Surely there must be a reason aside from the wild imagination of humans.
I ran into Bill, a former Asylum faculty member, in the locker room at the gym as I was exiting. He's taking advantage of the one-week trial membership. I only chatted with him briefly. He has been emancipated from wage slavery a lot longer than me. I have no idea how he survives, but he must have a lot of money stashed away. We'll probably run into each other again.
It's getting to be much more difficult for me to deny that I am simply wasting my life away while also living in an intolerable situation. With the debunking of the religious myth, I am now keenly aware that I only have one life to live. in addition, I have already squandered most of my "good years" doing absolutely nothing of value. Although I can still claim that I am working toward the exodus, I have yet to figure out my exit destination. I still dream of visiting the "Cradle of Civilization" or some other ancient sites. Although I abhor humanity, I am still curious about its origins.
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
No Change
Another urban nomad kind-of-a-day was essentially a mirror of yesterday. I am continuing to read, "Collapse," by Jared Diamond. The book is quite incredible. In fact, I am ready to proclaim it to be a book of real prophecy.
Humanity is facing its own self-destruction. There's no stopping it. Most people have deluded themselves into believing that we have the technology, knowledge, and willpower to save humanity. We just need to make the right decisions. Is that laughable, or what? I believe that we are already past the "point of no return." We are on a collision course with Peak Oil and global climate change. Our real problem, though, has always been overpopulation. Yes, the technology and knowledge has been in place for a while, but there has been no willpower to exact any meaningful change. Only when the time is too late will there be any change.
Humanity is facing its own self-destruction. There's no stopping it. Most people have deluded themselves into believing that we have the technology, knowledge, and willpower to save humanity. We just need to make the right decisions. Is that laughable, or what? I believe that we are already past the "point of no return." We are on a collision course with Peak Oil and global climate change. Our real problem, though, has always been overpopulation. Yes, the technology and knowledge has been in place for a while, but there has been no willpower to exact any meaningful change. Only when the time is too late will there be any change.
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Plain Ol' Stupidity
Another urban nomad kind-of-a-day was a showcase for rude asswipes. Is the full moon out? Are biorhythms going berserk? What is causing the epidemic of human stupidity? I could blame it all on Satan ... never mind.
I have barely come to grips with the fact that the God of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam is a figment of the imagination of a small handful of ancient psychotic priest-prophets. No doubt, they were caught up in their own inability to understand why the Creator had essentially abandoned humanity. The problem, of course, was that the priest-prophets had conjured up a deity in the image of humans. Little is known about the actual Creator because the first oral tradition is long lost.
I can venture to guess that the real Creator is nothing similar to God. The God of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam is said to be omnipotent and is able to transcend time. God can "see" into the future because He is timeless. The reality is quite different. The physical universe lies somewhere in the infinite void of deep space. Time and distance only exists when measured within the constraints of the physical universe. However, in terms of the infinite void, both time and distance reduce to infinitesimally small units, too small to measure. However, I do not believe that the Creator developed the laws of physics (and time) with a built-in "back door" to circumvent such laws. In other words, the Creator cannot "see" into the future anymore than we can. Does that make the Creator any less omnipotent? No.
What may be disheartening to most people, especially the deeply religious ones, is that the Creator made us exactly the way we were supposed to be. There was no eating of the forbidden fruit, no "original sin," and no eternal damnation. We are living out the history of the most unusual creation on the planet. In the end, we will probably destroy ourselves and much of the planet's lifeforms. However, thousands of years after our extinction, most of the planet's indigenous lifeforms will return. Perhaps the Creator will replace us with an improved version of humans.
On a side note, I have commenced reading the book, "Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed," by Jared Diamond at the library. Hence, my new research will heading in an "eclectic" direction.
I have observed that Pete, the pipe-smoking homeless guy, is no longer residing at Kawaikui Beach Park. He has been conspicuously absent for at least two days. I have not walked to the park, but I have been able to discern from the bus stop across the street that all of his worldly possessions are gone. Nothing is hanging from the tree that is adjacent to his formerly staked-out concrete picnic table.
Back at Slob Manor (read: rental housing), the Indian guy has been slamming his door all night long like a spoiled kid throwing a tantrum. Frankly, I really can't stand the asswipe. He's a pompous turd, which is indicative of the British Raj influence. Even Alan, the guy downstairs, said, "He's really into himself." That's true. He seems to want to call attention to himself, but no one bothers. In fact, Alan does not want the Indian guy to move downstairs.
Alas, the "blog" does serve a purpose. It is a witness and testimony to the failings of humanity. From my squalid room, I make observations of the microcosm that essentially mirror the macrocosm. What happens in my small world is a snapshot of the so-called "big picture." We can see why humanity is "heading to hell in a handbasket." What I once called the epidemic of the "seven sins" is, in reality, plain ol' stupidity and hubris.
I have barely come to grips with the fact that the God of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam is a figment of the imagination of a small handful of ancient psychotic priest-prophets. No doubt, they were caught up in their own inability to understand why the Creator had essentially abandoned humanity. The problem, of course, was that the priest-prophets had conjured up a deity in the image of humans. Little is known about the actual Creator because the first oral tradition is long lost.
I can venture to guess that the real Creator is nothing similar to God. The God of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam is said to be omnipotent and is able to transcend time. God can "see" into the future because He is timeless. The reality is quite different. The physical universe lies somewhere in the infinite void of deep space. Time and distance only exists when measured within the constraints of the physical universe. However, in terms of the infinite void, both time and distance reduce to infinitesimally small units, too small to measure. However, I do not believe that the Creator developed the laws of physics (and time) with a built-in "back door" to circumvent such laws. In other words, the Creator cannot "see" into the future anymore than we can. Does that make the Creator any less omnipotent? No.
What may be disheartening to most people, especially the deeply religious ones, is that the Creator made us exactly the way we were supposed to be. There was no eating of the forbidden fruit, no "original sin," and no eternal damnation. We are living out the history of the most unusual creation on the planet. In the end, we will probably destroy ourselves and much of the planet's lifeforms. However, thousands of years after our extinction, most of the planet's indigenous lifeforms will return. Perhaps the Creator will replace us with an improved version of humans.
On a side note, I have commenced reading the book, "Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed," by Jared Diamond at the library. Hence, my new research will heading in an "eclectic" direction.
I have observed that Pete, the pipe-smoking homeless guy, is no longer residing at Kawaikui Beach Park. He has been conspicuously absent for at least two days. I have not walked to the park, but I have been able to discern from the bus stop across the street that all of his worldly possessions are gone. Nothing is hanging from the tree that is adjacent to his formerly staked-out concrete picnic table.
Back at Slob Manor (read: rental housing), the Indian guy has been slamming his door all night long like a spoiled kid throwing a tantrum. Frankly, I really can't stand the asswipe. He's a pompous turd, which is indicative of the British Raj influence. Even Alan, the guy downstairs, said, "He's really into himself." That's true. He seems to want to call attention to himself, but no one bothers. In fact, Alan does not want the Indian guy to move downstairs.
Alas, the "blog" does serve a purpose. It is a witness and testimony to the failings of humanity. From my squalid room, I make observations of the microcosm that essentially mirror the macrocosm. What happens in my small world is a snapshot of the so-called "big picture." We can see why humanity is "heading to hell in a handbasket." What I once called the epidemic of the "seven sins" is, in reality, plain ol' stupidity and hubris.
Monday, July 27, 2009
Four Shadows
Another visit to Hawai'i Kai has come and gone. Moms and I made the usual rounds. We ate lunch at Zippy's. Later, moms served Foremost® coffee and vanilla ice cream for dessert. I kept moms company until 1:30pm. The itinerary for the remainder of the day was the same as usual.
When I returned to Slob Manor (read: rental housing), I was surprised to see the landlord doing yardwork. I was able to chat briefly with the landlord. She confirmed that the Chinaman has moved out. The UH student will be moving out at the end of the month. No new tenants are scheduled to move in. The landlord's latest brainchild is that she may move both the Indian guy and I downstairs into the two vacant rooms and rent the entire second floor to a couple. I have no objection to the idea.
By the way, Chris Hedges penned another fantastic article on the Truthdig site. Here's an excerpt:
When I returned to Slob Manor (read: rental housing), I was surprised to see the landlord doing yardwork. I was able to chat briefly with the landlord. She confirmed that the Chinaman has moved out. The UH student will be moving out at the end of the month. No new tenants are scheduled to move in. The landlord's latest brainchild is that she may move both the Indian guy and I downstairs into the two vacant rooms and rent the entire second floor to a couple. I have no objection to the idea.
By the way, Chris Hedges penned another fantastic article on the Truthdig site. Here's an excerpt:
Those who fail to exhibit positive attitudes, no matter the external reality, are seen as maladjusted and in need of assistance. Their attitudes need correction. Once we adopt an upbeat vision of reality, positive things will happen. This belief encourages us to flee from reality when reality does not elicit positive feelings. These specialists in "happiness" have formulated something they call the "Law of Attraction." It argues that we attract those things in life, whether it is money, relationships or employment, which we focus on. Suddenly, abused and battered wives or children, the unemployed, the depressed and mentally ill, the illiterate, the lonely, those grieving for lost loved ones, those crushed by poverty, the terminally ill, those fighting with addictions, those suffering from trauma, those trapped in menial and poorly paid jobs, those whose homes are in foreclosure or who are filing for bankruptcy because they cannot pay their medical bills, are to blame for their negativity. The ideology justifies the cruelty of unfettered capitalism, shifting the blame from the power elite to those they oppress. And many of us have internalized this pernicious message, which in times of difficulty leads to personal despair, passivity and disillusionment.The article is titled, "Happiness Consultants Won’t Stop a Depression," and definitely worthy of a read.
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Chokey da Chicken (Reprise)
Another urban nomad kind-of-a-Sunday ... same as last Sunday, with the exception that I was able to procure a delicious Yakitori Bento at Foodland in Ala Moana. Otherwise, the day was essentially blasé. Who knew, eh? My gym workout went well at a leisurely pace. My return trip back to Slob Manor (read: rental housing) on the bus was not hampered by stupidity. Once back in my squalid room, I performed the dreaded laundry chores. Then, I piddled around for the rest of the afternoon in anticipation of another urban nomad kind-of-evening.
I received another letter from Capital Pacific Group. The latest correspondence indicated that there is allegedly more unclaimed money available. So, the grand total now comes to $14,856 and some change. We are starting to talk about real money here, especially for a destitute peon like myself. I will most likely contact the firm for more information, although an overzealous agent included a printed contract. Mind you, the firm appears to be legitimate.
There is a chicken living in the back yard of Slob Manor. I have no idea how it ended up there. I heard it making clucking noises a couple of weeks ago. That's when I first espied it in the yard. This morning, the chicken was roaming around quietly. It uses its clawed feet to scratch the ground. Then, it pecks away at whatever it finds edible. I watched the bird intently. The chicken is, of course, one of few birds that cannot fly. What a curious creature. Sadly, I thought about the chicken while I devoured my Yakitori Bento, which is a chicken dish.
Well, according to the Feedjit® Live Feed, the "blog" is still only popular with searchers of pictures of scantily clad hotties. What a joke!
I received another letter from Capital Pacific Group. The latest correspondence indicated that there is allegedly more unclaimed money available. So, the grand total now comes to $14,856 and some change. We are starting to talk about real money here, especially for a destitute peon like myself. I will most likely contact the firm for more information, although an overzealous agent included a printed contract. Mind you, the firm appears to be legitimate.
There is a chicken living in the back yard of Slob Manor. I have no idea how it ended up there. I heard it making clucking noises a couple of weeks ago. That's when I first espied it in the yard. This morning, the chicken was roaming around quietly. It uses its clawed feet to scratch the ground. Then, it pecks away at whatever it finds edible. I watched the bird intently. The chicken is, of course, one of few birds that cannot fly. What a curious creature. Sadly, I thought about the chicken while I devoured my Yakitori Bento, which is a chicken dish.
Well, according to the Feedjit® Live Feed, the "blog" is still only popular with searchers of pictures of scantily clad hotties. What a joke!
Saturday, July 25, 2009
Double Jeopardy
Another urban nomad kind-of-a-day has recovered, just like the economy. Yes, the recession is over according to Newsweek. The stock market is rallying, and the Dow will be hitting 30,000 soon! So, why am I getting poorer and poorer?
At the library, I completed the reading of Kirsch's book, "A History of the End of the World." The last two chapters were quite interesting, by the way. Then, I performed my usual workout at the gym. Incidentally, the gym has an on-line magazine, You24®, that may be of interest to a select few.
Contrary to my word, I perused the religious literature that moms passed to me. It's very easy to get caught up with that kind of literature because the words are so soothing. The allure, of course, is the hope for a better life once God (of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam) takes action and brings justice to an evil world allegedly controlled by Satan. In fact, a casual readers would most likely neglect to refer to the Good Book for verification or clarification. There are a lot of embellishments in religious literature, most of which have no Biblical basis. And, with the credibility of the Good Book already being marginal, that's "double jeopardy."
At the library, I completed the reading of Kirsch's book, "A History of the End of the World." The last two chapters were quite interesting, by the way. Then, I performed my usual workout at the gym. Incidentally, the gym has an on-line magazine, You24®, that may be of interest to a select few.
Contrary to my word, I perused the religious literature that moms passed to me. It's very easy to get caught up with that kind of literature because the words are so soothing. The allure, of course, is the hope for a better life once God (of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam) takes action and brings justice to an evil world allegedly controlled by Satan. In fact, a casual readers would most likely neglect to refer to the Good Book for verification or clarification. There are a lot of embellishments in religious literature, most of which have no Biblical basis. And, with the credibility of the Good Book already being marginal, that's "double jeopardy."
Friday, July 24, 2009
Escape from Freedom (Reprise)
As to be expected, my Nissan® Frontier truck and I found ourselves in Hawai'i Kai for the day. Moms and I only made the rounds in Koko Marina. For lunch, moms served lamp-baked chicken, grilled salmon steak, ahi sashimi, fresh vegetables, and rice. For dessert, moms served Foremost® coffee ice cream. I kept moms company until 1:30pm. Then, I was on my way back to Koko Marina. I found shaded parking immediately, walked to the gym, performed my usual workout, shopped at Foodland, and returned to Slob Manor (read: rental housing) to engage in an urban nomad kind-of-an-evening.
From what I can gather, the Chinaman officially moved out two days ago. The Indian guy has been keeping some very strange hours, coincident with the purchase of his new wheels. He now leaves very early in the morning, sometimes at 5am. Then, he returns late, often after midnight. Has he found a babe? Or, is he doing some extreme trolling? Let's hope so.
Moms gave me a few pieces of religious literature to read. I also noticed that moms is also leaving the same literature around the house, which could incur the wrath of my bro. Since I have come into the real "truth" about religion, I have had little desire to read any religious propaganda. The fact of the matter is quite simple: the prophesies in the Good Book never came to fruition, so the churches are attempting to reinterpret the Scriptures. In actuality, all they do is keep pushing the dates of the prophesies into the future. What most people do not realize is that the charade has been going on for 1,900 years. Sheesh!
I am still continuing with my policy of divestiture, albeit in slow motion. I deleted a huge archives of "higher education" (i.e., pre-doctoral) research, which essentially was a joke. I had it stored on my trusty USB flash drive. Now, it's gone. Who cares? For me, divestiture of useless crap, the mendicant life, and the exodus comprise reality. Although I have previously called myself a mendicant monk, I must now revoke that description (at least its religious implication). The ascetic life-style is not a precursor to spirituality. Rather, asceticism is a matter of practicality. And, hopefully, it will open the door to freedom ... freedom from slavery ... freedom from stupidity.
From what I can gather, the Chinaman officially moved out two days ago. The Indian guy has been keeping some very strange hours, coincident with the purchase of his new wheels. He now leaves very early in the morning, sometimes at 5am. Then, he returns late, often after midnight. Has he found a babe? Or, is he doing some extreme trolling? Let's hope so.
Moms gave me a few pieces of religious literature to read. I also noticed that moms is also leaving the same literature around the house, which could incur the wrath of my bro. Since I have come into the real "truth" about religion, I have had little desire to read any religious propaganda. The fact of the matter is quite simple: the prophesies in the Good Book never came to fruition, so the churches are attempting to reinterpret the Scriptures. In actuality, all they do is keep pushing the dates of the prophesies into the future. What most people do not realize is that the charade has been going on for 1,900 years. Sheesh!
I am still continuing with my policy of divestiture, albeit in slow motion. I deleted a huge archives of "higher education" (i.e., pre-doctoral) research, which essentially was a joke. I had it stored on my trusty USB flash drive. Now, it's gone. Who cares? For me, divestiture of useless crap, the mendicant life, and the exodus comprise reality. Although I have previously called myself a mendicant monk, I must now revoke that description (at least its religious implication). The ascetic life-style is not a precursor to spirituality. Rather, asceticism is a matter of practicality. And, hopefully, it will open the door to freedom ... freedom from slavery ... freedom from stupidity.
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Clean Slate
I performed the dreaded laundry chores at 7:15am this morning. Then, I embarked on another urban nomad kind-of-a-day. As to be expected, nothing out of the ordinary transpired.
I am now at quite a loss about my own future. What exactly is my purpose on this planet? Since seeking spirituality is the epitome of absurdity, what is left? In the 7,000 years or so that we humans have existed, we have buried our true purpose under a thick veneer of superficial crap. We have added layer upon layer of nonsense that has only added to the confusion over time. Now, we are locked into a "survival of the fittest" mentality while the various farcical religions serve as the primary vent for the pressures created by the latter. How can any sane person fathom such insanity?
Heck, rampant materialism may be our only defined purpose. After all, unlike animals, we humans have external material needs which dictate our survival. We live in a microcosm of the physical universe. Thus, every activity of our being takes on a tangible form. We believe that our minds are able to transcend the physical realm, but that's nonsense. All we can do is conjure up fictitious deities and idiotic dogma (derived from the fictitious deities). We come up with rituals for purification, criteria for holiness, and moral/law codes which seemingly have basis in schizophrenia.
We can do nothing about the lack of justice in a "survival of the fittest" environment. Justice is a human fallacy. Everything in the physical universe has a beginning and an end. In between, there is gradual decay. For us, the process is called mortality. We cry out for justice, but the God of Judaism, Christianity and Islam does not answer. Neither does the Creator. That should tell us something. The only justice comes at the end when the slate is wiped clean.
I am now at quite a loss about my own future. What exactly is my purpose on this planet? Since seeking spirituality is the epitome of absurdity, what is left? In the 7,000 years or so that we humans have existed, we have buried our true purpose under a thick veneer of superficial crap. We have added layer upon layer of nonsense that has only added to the confusion over time. Now, we are locked into a "survival of the fittest" mentality while the various farcical religions serve as the primary vent for the pressures created by the latter. How can any sane person fathom such insanity?
Heck, rampant materialism may be our only defined purpose. After all, unlike animals, we humans have external material needs which dictate our survival. We live in a microcosm of the physical universe. Thus, every activity of our being takes on a tangible form. We believe that our minds are able to transcend the physical realm, but that's nonsense. All we can do is conjure up fictitious deities and idiotic dogma (derived from the fictitious deities). We come up with rituals for purification, criteria for holiness, and moral/law codes which seemingly have basis in schizophrenia.
We can do nothing about the lack of justice in a "survival of the fittest" environment. Justice is a human fallacy. Everything in the physical universe has a beginning and an end. In between, there is gradual decay. For us, the process is called mortality. We cry out for justice, but the God of Judaism, Christianity and Islam does not answer. Neither does the Creator. That should tell us something. The only justice comes at the end when the slate is wiped clean.
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Disconnection Redux
Oh, another urban nomad kind-of-a-day has slipped away. The itinerary was the same (sans day recognition crisis). At the library, I continued to read Kirsch's book, "A History of the End of the World." There's a lot of interesting stuff discussed in the book, all of which augments my now-closed religious research.
Needless to say, I am still in a state of total confusion and bewilderment concerning the farce known as religion. What is its allure? I suppose that there have always been people who have yearned for a "just" society. Religion was a means to impose morality and laws upon unrestrained humans in order to attain social justice. Yet, why the need to attribute the origin of morality to a deity?
What has become apparent to me is that humans were never endowed with any specific laws of conduct or code of morality per se. We were given a wide range of emotions and feelings which were, in theory, to be moderated by our intelligence and sentience. In other words, we were blessed (or cursed) with the ultimate form of "free will." Obviously, such a concept goes against the the grain of Universal Law. Well, perhaps our determination of the laws of self-governance in the microcosm has little impact on the universe.
Sadly, there has been very little justice dispensed during the human tenure. In the long run, justice is always usurped by the controlling elite. Hence, those people at the short end of justice will seek desperate measures for compensation, the advent of religion being one avenue. The human experience has always been devoid of justice, and not always because of our own doing. That brings me back to a thought of a few weeks ago. We humans are not very special in the creation. We are apparently only a slightly higher form of animal. Our sole purpose may be to satisfy the Creator's curiosity. Certainly, we will not transcend the creation/destruction cycle of the physical universe.
The casual reader may wonder why I continue to accept creation as the point of origin for humans. As I have explained before, there is no other way that humans could feasibly come into existence. No ape or chimpanzee could have nurtured, fed, clothed, and sheltered the original humans. One look at our naked selves, and we can readily observe how vulnerable we are. Other life forms on the planet do not need clothes, shoes, toilet paper, enclosed shelters, and so forth in order to survive. We are a very odd species of life.
I could only rely upon conjecture to postulate the circumstances of the creation of humans. I will leave that topic for another day. However, I firmly believe that the original humans had to nurtured, protected, and trained by the Creator. There is no possible way that the species would have survived long enough to procreate otherwise. In such a case, there had to be an oral tradition. I am now convinced that the oral tradition is long gone, perhaps hidden in the various myths and legends (including religious dogma) over the aeons. I am not certain if the Creator provided any basic laws for self-governance. The idea seems to be contrary to the concept of "free will."
Take the matter of incest, for example. The act of incest is forbidden in most societies, yet it had to be acceptable during the early days of humans. In effect, if incest was forbidden, the human species could not procreate. When and how was incest finally made taboo? We can probably dissect most humans laws and customs in the same fashion. Without God (of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam), we are devoid of a true moral compass. Then, too, without any moral code, there would be no "sin." What is right and wrong? What is "good" and "evil"?
I have yet to fully accept my mortality. What I mean by "mortality" is that there is no existence of the soul beyond the short tenure on the planet. There is no religious resurrection of any kind. Thus, there is no hope. People who are attached to religious beliefs are investing in the hope of some kind of eternal life. With religion being the farce that it is, there is no eternal life for any of us. Perhaps that is why justice has never been "built in" to society. Justice is simply a human rationalization based upon the hope of eternal life as a reward.
Well, I have kind of prematurely betrayed the concealment of the path of my future research. I don't have much time left on the planet, so I must expedite my cause. I cannot say that I will make major changes in my life. I am certainly will not be going "hog wild" to catch up with lost time. No amount of experiences will change the outcome. I will not be taking any experiences with me in the end, will I? I have also given up on "spirituality." There is no purpose in seeking the "spirit" when it either does not exist or is around for only a very short time. My sole goal is to understand the human experience, putting an emphasis on what is of exceptional value. Nothing more, nothing less.
Needless to say, I am still in a state of total confusion and bewilderment concerning the farce known as religion. What is its allure? I suppose that there have always been people who have yearned for a "just" society. Religion was a means to impose morality and laws upon unrestrained humans in order to attain social justice. Yet, why the need to attribute the origin of morality to a deity?
What has become apparent to me is that humans were never endowed with any specific laws of conduct or code of morality per se. We were given a wide range of emotions and feelings which were, in theory, to be moderated by our intelligence and sentience. In other words, we were blessed (or cursed) with the ultimate form of "free will." Obviously, such a concept goes against the the grain of Universal Law. Well, perhaps our determination of the laws of self-governance in the microcosm has little impact on the universe.
Sadly, there has been very little justice dispensed during the human tenure. In the long run, justice is always usurped by the controlling elite. Hence, those people at the short end of justice will seek desperate measures for compensation, the advent of religion being one avenue. The human experience has always been devoid of justice, and not always because of our own doing. That brings me back to a thought of a few weeks ago. We humans are not very special in the creation. We are apparently only a slightly higher form of animal. Our sole purpose may be to satisfy the Creator's curiosity. Certainly, we will not transcend the creation/destruction cycle of the physical universe.
The casual reader may wonder why I continue to accept creation as the point of origin for humans. As I have explained before, there is no other way that humans could feasibly come into existence. No ape or chimpanzee could have nurtured, fed, clothed, and sheltered the original humans. One look at our naked selves, and we can readily observe how vulnerable we are. Other life forms on the planet do not need clothes, shoes, toilet paper, enclosed shelters, and so forth in order to survive. We are a very odd species of life.
I could only rely upon conjecture to postulate the circumstances of the creation of humans. I will leave that topic for another day. However, I firmly believe that the original humans had to nurtured, protected, and trained by the Creator. There is no possible way that the species would have survived long enough to procreate otherwise. In such a case, there had to be an oral tradition. I am now convinced that the oral tradition is long gone, perhaps hidden in the various myths and legends (including religious dogma) over the aeons. I am not certain if the Creator provided any basic laws for self-governance. The idea seems to be contrary to the concept of "free will."
Take the matter of incest, for example. The act of incest is forbidden in most societies, yet it had to be acceptable during the early days of humans. In effect, if incest was forbidden, the human species could not procreate. When and how was incest finally made taboo? We can probably dissect most humans laws and customs in the same fashion. Without God (of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam), we are devoid of a true moral compass. Then, too, without any moral code, there would be no "sin." What is right and wrong? What is "good" and "evil"?
I have yet to fully accept my mortality. What I mean by "mortality" is that there is no existence of the soul beyond the short tenure on the planet. There is no religious resurrection of any kind. Thus, there is no hope. People who are attached to religious beliefs are investing in the hope of some kind of eternal life. With religion being the farce that it is, there is no eternal life for any of us. Perhaps that is why justice has never been "built in" to society. Justice is simply a human rationalization based upon the hope of eternal life as a reward.
Well, I have kind of prematurely betrayed the concealment of the path of my future research. I don't have much time left on the planet, so I must expedite my cause. I cannot say that I will make major changes in my life. I am certainly will not be going "hog wild" to catch up with lost time. No amount of experiences will change the outcome. I will not be taking any experiences with me in the end, will I? I have also given up on "spirituality." There is no purpose in seeking the "spirit" when it either does not exist or is around for only a very short time. My sole goal is to understand the human experience, putting an emphasis on what is of exceptional value. Nothing more, nothing less.
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Folly of Time
Another laborious urban nomad kind-of-a-day followed the usual formulaic itinerary. At the library, I happened to lapse into a coma for a few minutes. When I regained consciousness, I saw a clown sitting a few feet away in his wage slave duds (i.e., work clothes). Why was he wearing that crap on Sunday? Then, I realized the folly of my error. The urban nomad can no longer differentiate the days of the week.
I completed reading the book, "The Bible Unearthed," by Finkelstein and Silberman. I have commenced reading, "A History of the End of the World: How the Most Controversial Book in the Bible Changed the Course of Western Civilization," by Jonathan Kirsch. So far, there are no new thoughts to include in the "blog." My religious research has already been completed.
I have been attempting to rethink the "creation." That subject will apparently be the next phase of my research. Rethinking the "creation" will not be easy. I would assume that any narrative would be strictly conjecture at this point. I will also have to rethink the basis for morality now that human religions have proven to be a farce.
Back at Slob Manor (read: rental housing), I discovered that the Chinaman has not moved out yet. In the meantime, the place is reverting back to the dump that it was prior to the landlord's cleaning efforts. No surprise, eh?
I completed reading the book, "The Bible Unearthed," by Finkelstein and Silberman. I have commenced reading, "A History of the End of the World: How the Most Controversial Book in the Bible Changed the Course of Western Civilization," by Jonathan Kirsch. So far, there are no new thoughts to include in the "blog." My religious research has already been completed.
I have been attempting to rethink the "creation." That subject will apparently be the next phase of my research. Rethinking the "creation" will not be easy. I would assume that any narrative would be strictly conjecture at this point. I will also have to rethink the basis for morality now that human religions have proven to be a farce.
Back at Slob Manor (read: rental housing), I discovered that the Chinaman has not moved out yet. In the meantime, the place is reverting back to the dump that it was prior to the landlord's cleaning efforts. No surprise, eh?
Monday, July 20, 2009
Path to Pathos
My itinerary was identical to Monday of last week. No need to repeat it here. As always, I kept moms company after dessert was served. Moms spent some time telling me about the past, specifically about moms' own time growing up. I was not really sure how to deal with all of that. It seems to me that moms is attempting to tie up any loose ends, as it were. I was significantly affected for the rest of the day.
Back in my squalid room at Slob Manor (read: rental housing), I attempted to make sense of my life amidst the squalor of my remaining useless possessions ... all the crap lying on the floor in plastic shopping bags, my gym bag filled with the only clothes that I own, my regular gym bag, my can of bug spray, my DeLonghi® "retro" all-in-one contact grill and panini press, the NLT (New Living Translation) Study Bible, my sleeping bag ... useless and meaningless. My Nissan® Frontier truck is parked out in the driveway with seven other vehicles, arranged much like a junkyard. How fast can I liquidate the aforementioned crap?
The human mind can only tolerate so much nonsense before it finally snaps. Modern life requires that the mind be sedated with cheap booze, drugs, or the tube. I have long ago abandoned those options. I now choose to face life in a sober state. And, life has proven to be very sobering indeed. However, I must remain steadfast on the path that I have chosen. There are no other choices.
Back in my squalid room at Slob Manor (read: rental housing), I attempted to make sense of my life amidst the squalor of my remaining useless possessions ... all the crap lying on the floor in plastic shopping bags, my gym bag filled with the only clothes that I own, my regular gym bag, my can of bug spray, my DeLonghi® "retro" all-in-one contact grill and panini press, the NLT (New Living Translation) Study Bible, my sleeping bag ... useless and meaningless. My Nissan® Frontier truck is parked out in the driveway with seven other vehicles, arranged much like a junkyard. How fast can I liquidate the aforementioned crap?
The human mind can only tolerate so much nonsense before it finally snaps. Modern life requires that the mind be sedated with cheap booze, drugs, or the tube. I have long ago abandoned those options. I now choose to face life in a sober state. And, life has proven to be very sobering indeed. However, I must remain steadfast on the path that I have chosen. There are no other choices.
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Bug Redux
Another urban nomad kind-of-a-Sunday? Yes. Anything out of the ordinary happened? No. Once again, I was not able to procure a bento from Foodland in Ala Moana Center. So, I had to stop off at Foodland in the Aina Haina Shopping Center. I ended up purchasing a couple of boxes of Weight Watchers® Smart Ones® Lasagna Florentine (i.e., frozen meal) for dinner. What a compromise!
I arrived back at Slob Manor (read: rental housing) at 3:45pm, just in time to perform the dreaded laundry chores. Pat, the landlord, happened to stop by again to show the place to a prospective tenant. About an hour later, the Chinaman returned with his buddy. I saw them moving stuff out, so the Chinaman is history. During the moving process, the Chinaman had left the front door open. A huge bumble bee ended up buzzing around in the stairwell to the second floor. I had to remove a couple of the window screens to allow it to exit. I had thought about spraying it with bug spray, but the bumble bee is an important part of biological system. Several mosquitoes also invaded the house. Needless to say, they ended up in my squalid room.
The ant situation is out of control again. The sugar ants have launched a massive invasion in the second floor bathroom. The ants are coming from all directions, including the attic access panel. The carpenter ants, however, have been sparse. Roaches, big and small, are making their debut, even in my squalid room. Bugs everywhere!
I arrived back at Slob Manor (read: rental housing) at 3:45pm, just in time to perform the dreaded laundry chores. Pat, the landlord, happened to stop by again to show the place to a prospective tenant. About an hour later, the Chinaman returned with his buddy. I saw them moving stuff out, so the Chinaman is history. During the moving process, the Chinaman had left the front door open. A huge bumble bee ended up buzzing around in the stairwell to the second floor. I had to remove a couple of the window screens to allow it to exit. I had thought about spraying it with bug spray, but the bumble bee is an important part of biological system. Several mosquitoes also invaded the house. Needless to say, they ended up in my squalid room.
The ant situation is out of control again. The sugar ants have launched a massive invasion in the second floor bathroom. The ants are coming from all directions, including the attic access panel. The carpenter ants, however, have been sparse. Roaches, big and small, are making their debut, even in my squalid room. Bugs everywhere!
Saturday, July 18, 2009
Mind Meld
Did you know that I endured another urban nomad kind-of-a-day? Sure, you did. Nothing unusual occurred. I spoke to no one. I moved from place to place in complete stealth. I could be likened to the Invisible Man without his bandages. Sometimes I wonder why I bother to compose the "blog." What's the sense? Who even reads the "blog"? Sheesh!
Incidentally, I happened to notice that the hottie gym trainer resembles gorgeous Lexi Stone (aka Angela McLin). The resemblance is quite amazing actually. Well, the hottie gym trainer is quite amazing. Maybe Lexi Stone is the hottie gym trainer. Lord, have mercy!
Incidentally, I happened to notice that the hottie gym trainer resembles gorgeous Lexi Stone (aka Angela McLin). The resemblance is quite amazing actually. Well, the hottie gym trainer is quite amazing. Maybe Lexi Stone is the hottie gym trainer. Lord, have mercy!
Friday, July 17, 2009
Slob Manor Unslobbed
Can I sum up the day in as few words as possible? Start up my Nissan® Frontier truck, drive to Aina Haina Shopping Center, purchase two boxes of Quaker® Granola at Foodland, and drive to Hawai'i Kai to visit moms. The rest of the day's itinerary was the same as last Friday. The only deviation occurred when I could not find shaded parking upon returning to Koko Marina. Thus, I had to spend some time in Koko Head Park first. I was careful to not get bitten by the hideous little spider with a pincher for a mouth.
I am going to start modifying my workout at the gym. I have noticed that the pain in my right shoulder will not go away. Rather than taking a long break from weight training, I need to reduce the maximum weight for all sets. I have no need to compete with the young studs. I am only working out to keep some semblance of fitness. Self-inflicted injuries are obviously self-defeating.
When I arrived back at Slob Manor (read: rental housing), I noticed that the entire downstairs common area was completely clean. The kitchen was nearly spotless. Even the filthy dishes and cookware had been washed and put away. Right then, I knew that Pat, the landlord, had been by. The second floor bathroom was also cleaned, although the common area was ignored. A few minutes later, I spoke with Alan, one of the guys who resides downstairs. Yes, indeed, the landlord had been there and had read him the "riot act." Apparently, the landlord was quite upset with the mess. Unfortunately, Alan just happened to be there at the wrong time. Usually, I am the one to hear about the nonsense. The cause of the "hullabaloo"? The Chinaman and the UH student are both confirmed to be moving out, so the landlord is now showing the place to prospective tenants.
Whoa! I had not realized that gold is now close to $1,000 per ounce. I should have bought in a few months ago. Oh well. The stock market is also going through a major rally. Did you invest as I recommended? I certainly didn't.
I am going to start modifying my workout at the gym. I have noticed that the pain in my right shoulder will not go away. Rather than taking a long break from weight training, I need to reduce the maximum weight for all sets. I have no need to compete with the young studs. I am only working out to keep some semblance of fitness. Self-inflicted injuries are obviously self-defeating.
When I arrived back at Slob Manor (read: rental housing), I noticed that the entire downstairs common area was completely clean. The kitchen was nearly spotless. Even the filthy dishes and cookware had been washed and put away. Right then, I knew that Pat, the landlord, had been by. The second floor bathroom was also cleaned, although the common area was ignored. A few minutes later, I spoke with Alan, one of the guys who resides downstairs. Yes, indeed, the landlord had been there and had read him the "riot act." Apparently, the landlord was quite upset with the mess. Unfortunately, Alan just happened to be there at the wrong time. Usually, I am the one to hear about the nonsense. The cause of the "hullabaloo"? The Chinaman and the UH student are both confirmed to be moving out, so the landlord is now showing the place to prospective tenants.
Whoa! I had not realized that gold is now close to $1,000 per ounce. I should have bought in a few months ago. Oh well. The stock market is also going through a major rally. Did you invest as I recommended? I certainly didn't.
Thursday, July 16, 2009
True Loser
Another urban nomad kind-of-a-day was made worse by sleep deprivation. The itinerary was the same as always. However, fatigue made the experience seem surreal. Or, perhaps agnostic disillusionment was the problem. Who knows? Who cares?
The highlight of the day was when I was walking along Hotel Street to the bus stop after my grueling workout at the gym. I espied the hottie gym trainer coming from the other way. Baby was dolled up and looking quite gorgeous. She was apparently just arriving from her regular day job to do a training session at the gym. Of course, seeing baby only caused me to realize what a true loser I am. Not good.
The highlight of the day was when I was walking along Hotel Street to the bus stop after my grueling workout at the gym. I espied the hottie gym trainer coming from the other way. Baby was dolled up and looking quite gorgeous. She was apparently just arriving from her regular day job to do a training session at the gym. Of course, seeing baby only caused me to realize what a true loser I am. Not good.
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Sleep Deprivation
"Jesus proclaimed the coming Kingdom of God, instead we got the Church." -- Ol' Lavahead paraphrasing Alfred LoisyAnother urban nomad kind-of-a-day ... another agnostic crisis. Well, not really. What exactly could constitute an "agnostic crisis"? There's nothing about agnosticism to create a crisis. Surprisingly, people were quite friendly and considerate today. Is there some force that dictates uniform human behavior? Aside from that, nothing out of the ordinary transpired.
At the library, I continued to read the book, "The Bible Unearthed," by Finkelstein and Silberman. I should be able to complete the book in a few days. What's odd is that I began my religious research coincident with when I first perused the latter book in February. Now, I have come full circle. I can read the book without conflict.
I have not slept well for several days. I have experienced ridiculous dreams every night, which tends to awaken me. Then, I must "drain the lizard." After that, I have a difficult time going back to sleep. So, I am fatigued all day. I may lapse in and out of a coma while I am at the library, but that's no substitute for real sleep. I really need to move out into the wilderness.
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Thoughts
Another urban nomad kind-of-a-day ... same ol' shit ... the usual itinerary, putting up with rude asswipes, etc. At the library, I was surprised to find that the next book on my reading list was gone. So, I decided to read the book, "The Bible Unearthed," by Israel Finkelstein and Neil Silberman. Although I have officially completed my religious research, I had only previously perused the book.
Incidentally, I happened to see Les the putz walking out of the library at noon. I was sitting under the coconut trees in the Capitol district eating granola for lunch. I am sure that Les the putz saw me, but he chose to look the other way. After all, I rejected his Christian "witnessing." He is, of course, "saved" because he has accepted Jesus as his Saviour. In his eyes, I am a heretic.
I am not certain whether Les the putz knows what kind of Christianity he associates himself with. As a matter of fact, I doubt that most Christians know that they follow the teachings and doctrines of the self-appointed Apostle Paul. No one seems to know whether he was really an apostle. Yet, Christianity is defined by Paul's letters and epistles that comprise almost the entirety of the Christian Greek Scriptures (so-called "New Testament"). That's what I would call double-blind faith.
Well, I restored my monk haircut at the Institute of Hair Design this afternoon. I had to replace my cheap shampoo with CVS® dandruff shampoo. I have had a chronic dandruff problem for years, but the problem has since gotten worse. Even the stylists at the Institute of Hair Design have been recommending that I purchase special shampoo. If it isn't one thing, it's another.
There's a lot of bad news out there for the rank-and-file peons. I read many of the articles, but I no longer comment much about the latter. What's the point? Only the moneychangers and powers-that-be are doing fine. Certainly, the Almighty (of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam) is not planning to make a cameo appearance anytime soon. So, pain and suffering is to remain on the agenda. What else is new, eh?
I have been seriously contemplating my matriculation into the ranks of the real homeless sometime in the future. However, I realized that being truly homeless is one giant step below my squalid living conditions at Slob Manor (read: rental housing), no matter how horrid I perceive the latter to be. Divesting all of my worldly possessions is just the first step, and a minor one at that. Ever notice that the homeless are usually wearing filthy clothes? I realized just how difficult the simple act of performing the dreaded laundry chores would be in a homeless situation. The homeless in Waikiki would hand wash clothes in the public restroom and drape the laundry over plants or retaining walls to dry them.
I have noticed that there are now a few homeless stationed at the bus stops near Kahala Mall. The mall has open restrooms and lots of trash cans that are filled with discarded food. There are some secluded areas by the elevated freeway and the nearby cemetery for sleeping accommodations. With all of that in mind, am I truly ready for homelessness?
Incidentally, I happened to see Les the putz walking out of the library at noon. I was sitting under the coconut trees in the Capitol district eating granola for lunch. I am sure that Les the putz saw me, but he chose to look the other way. After all, I rejected his Christian "witnessing." He is, of course, "saved" because he has accepted Jesus as his Saviour. In his eyes, I am a heretic.
I am not certain whether Les the putz knows what kind of Christianity he associates himself with. As a matter of fact, I doubt that most Christians know that they follow the teachings and doctrines of the self-appointed Apostle Paul. No one seems to know whether he was really an apostle. Yet, Christianity is defined by Paul's letters and epistles that comprise almost the entirety of the Christian Greek Scriptures (so-called "New Testament"). That's what I would call double-blind faith.
Well, I restored my monk haircut at the Institute of Hair Design this afternoon. I had to replace my cheap shampoo with CVS® dandruff shampoo. I have had a chronic dandruff problem for years, but the problem has since gotten worse. Even the stylists at the Institute of Hair Design have been recommending that I purchase special shampoo. If it isn't one thing, it's another.
There's a lot of bad news out there for the rank-and-file peons. I read many of the articles, but I no longer comment much about the latter. What's the point? Only the moneychangers and powers-that-be are doing fine. Certainly, the Almighty (of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam) is not planning to make a cameo appearance anytime soon. So, pain and suffering is to remain on the agenda. What else is new, eh?
I have been seriously contemplating my matriculation into the ranks of the real homeless sometime in the future. However, I realized that being truly homeless is one giant step below my squalid living conditions at Slob Manor (read: rental housing), no matter how horrid I perceive the latter to be. Divesting all of my worldly possessions is just the first step, and a minor one at that. Ever notice that the homeless are usually wearing filthy clothes? I realized just how difficult the simple act of performing the dreaded laundry chores would be in a homeless situation. The homeless in Waikiki would hand wash clothes in the public restroom and drape the laundry over plants or retaining walls to dry them.
I have noticed that there are now a few homeless stationed at the bus stops near Kahala Mall. The mall has open restrooms and lots of trash cans that are filled with discarded food. There are some secluded areas by the elevated freeway and the nearby cemetery for sleeping accommodations. With all of that in mind, am I truly ready for homelessness?
Monday, July 13, 2009
Fortune Cookie
I spent the day out in Hawai'i Kai again. We already know the drill. Moms and I made the usual rounds. For lunch, we ate at Panda Express®. My fortune cookie read, "There is a prospect of a thrilling time ahead for you." Fat chance! Later, moms served Foremost® coffee and vanilla ice cream for dessert. I kept moms company until 1:30pm.
I drove my Nissan® Frontier truck back to Koko Marina, but I could not find shaded parking. So, off I went to Koko Head Park. While I was sitting at one of the picnic tables, I felt a sharp pain along my upper arm. Apparently, a bug bit me. I had the same annoyance occur a few weeks ago. The bug was some kind of tiny spider with ugly pincher for a mouth. The stinging pain lasts for about two weeks. I surmise that there is something foreign embedded in my arm.
I finally drove back to Koko Marina, found shaded parking, walked to the gym, performed my usual workout, shopped at Foodland, and returned to Slob Manor (read: rental housing), just in time to commence an urban nomad kind-of-an-evening.
As anyone can plainly ascertain, I have lost interest in just about every aspect of life ... modern life, to be exact. The barbaric divestiture of my Rubbermaid® cooler was the turning point. Subsequently, none of my useless possessions have retained any value in my eyes. My religious research led to some eye-opening findings, but the result has only been disillusionment on a grand scale. In fact, I have yet to realize the long-term ramifications. I am severely depleting my life savings in order to live an unrewarding reclusive life-style. Yet, I have come to grips with the fact that I do not want to return to the "mainstream." The only people that I have anything in common with are the homeless and destitute, but I have absolutely no contact with any of them.
I have given up on religion, politics, and everything else that comprises the "world." I am a powerless peon. Nothing I can say or do will change the grand design of the moneychangers and the powers-that-be. Increasing my knowledge has only served to bolster disillusionment and wreak havoc on my psyche. Writing about that crap in the "blog" has marginal cathartic value. My only goal is to survive with more than a little peace of mind.
I have had some minor lapses of irrational thought. I have felt tinges of regret for not seeking out all of the pleasures and creature comforts that lay before my eyes, However, I always remain cognizant of the fact that I would have to pay dearly to be a part of the "club." I would have to assume values and beliefs that are totally alien to me, or that I am diametrically opposed to. That's the main reason why I cannot become involved with babes. Even friendships can put values and beliefs on the line. So, I am permanently locked into the urban nomad life-style.
Incidentally, there was an interesting article in the Advertiser about the state of the current "condotel" bust. There are some interesting facts and figures presented. Apparently, I am one of the few "owners" who has a high-interest 15-year mortgage (and 35 percent down payment). From what I can tell, most of the "owners" who were interviewed have conventional low-interest 30-year mortgages, so they are still turning a profit. Evidently, I was duped.
I drove my Nissan® Frontier truck back to Koko Marina, but I could not find shaded parking. So, off I went to Koko Head Park. While I was sitting at one of the picnic tables, I felt a sharp pain along my upper arm. Apparently, a bug bit me. I had the same annoyance occur a few weeks ago. The bug was some kind of tiny spider with ugly pincher for a mouth. The stinging pain lasts for about two weeks. I surmise that there is something foreign embedded in my arm.
I finally drove back to Koko Marina, found shaded parking, walked to the gym, performed my usual workout, shopped at Foodland, and returned to Slob Manor (read: rental housing), just in time to commence an urban nomad kind-of-an-evening.
As anyone can plainly ascertain, I have lost interest in just about every aspect of life ... modern life, to be exact. The barbaric divestiture of my Rubbermaid® cooler was the turning point. Subsequently, none of my useless possessions have retained any value in my eyes. My religious research led to some eye-opening findings, but the result has only been disillusionment on a grand scale. In fact, I have yet to realize the long-term ramifications. I am severely depleting my life savings in order to live an unrewarding reclusive life-style. Yet, I have come to grips with the fact that I do not want to return to the "mainstream." The only people that I have anything in common with are the homeless and destitute, but I have absolutely no contact with any of them.
I have given up on religion, politics, and everything else that comprises the "world." I am a powerless peon. Nothing I can say or do will change the grand design of the moneychangers and the powers-that-be. Increasing my knowledge has only served to bolster disillusionment and wreak havoc on my psyche. Writing about that crap in the "blog" has marginal cathartic value. My only goal is to survive with more than a little peace of mind.
I have had some minor lapses of irrational thought. I have felt tinges of regret for not seeking out all of the pleasures and creature comforts that lay before my eyes, However, I always remain cognizant of the fact that I would have to pay dearly to be a part of the "club." I would have to assume values and beliefs that are totally alien to me, or that I am diametrically opposed to. That's the main reason why I cannot become involved with babes. Even friendships can put values and beliefs on the line. So, I am permanently locked into the urban nomad life-style.
Incidentally, there was an interesting article in the Advertiser about the state of the current "condotel" bust. There are some interesting facts and figures presented. Apparently, I am one of the few "owners" who has a high-interest 15-year mortgage (and 35 percent down payment). From what I can tell, most of the "owners" who were interviewed have conventional low-interest 30-year mortgages, so they are still turning a profit. Evidently, I was duped.
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Cheap Redemption
Another urban nomad kind-of-a-Sunday was tainted by sheer stupidity. The only consolation was my receipt of a termination notice from American Express®. Yes, my Amex® credit card has been closed out. Thank goodness, that spared me the aggravation of doing the deed myself. I just wish that the "condotel" mortgage would go away that easily.
After my workout at the gym, I rode the bus to Ala Moana Center. I was not able to find a Yakitori Bento to purchase at Foodland. The Route 24 bus did not show up, so I had to ride a fairly crowded Route 23 bus. There were three fat slobs sitting in the rear of the bus with me. Together, they took up six seats. I decided to go all the way to Koko Marina. I had to alight at the Hawai'i Kai Park & Ride. Then, I transferred to a Route 1 bus to complete the trip.
At the Foodland in Koko Marina, I discovered that there were no hot meals (i.e., local-style bento) available. So, I ended up purchasing some Ahi Poke. Heck, I could have done that at the Foodland in Ala Moana or in the Aina Haina Shopping Center. I finally arrived back at Slob Manor (read: rental housing) at 4:15pm, just in time to perform the dreaded laundry chores.
The termination of my Amex® card brought about a new wave of divesting energy late this afternoon. To celibrate, I discarded more useless paperwork and memorabilia. I also set aside another tentative bundle of small useless junk to be donated. I felt as though the whole day was redeemed.
After my workout at the gym, I rode the bus to Ala Moana Center. I was not able to find a Yakitori Bento to purchase at Foodland. The Route 24 bus did not show up, so I had to ride a fairly crowded Route 23 bus. There were three fat slobs sitting in the rear of the bus with me. Together, they took up six seats. I decided to go all the way to Koko Marina. I had to alight at the Hawai'i Kai Park & Ride. Then, I transferred to a Route 1 bus to complete the trip.
At the Foodland in Koko Marina, I discovered that there were no hot meals (i.e., local-style bento) available. So, I ended up purchasing some Ahi Poke. Heck, I could have done that at the Foodland in Ala Moana or in the Aina Haina Shopping Center. I finally arrived back at Slob Manor (read: rental housing) at 4:15pm, just in time to perform the dreaded laundry chores.
The termination of my Amex® card brought about a new wave of divesting energy late this afternoon. To celibrate, I discarded more useless paperwork and memorabilia. I also set aside another tentative bundle of small useless junk to be donated. I felt as though the whole day was redeemed.
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Peak Oil Day 2009
"Maybe it's a stretch to say that the production peak occurred at one identifiable moment, but attributing it to the day oil prices reached their high-water mark may be a useful way of fixing the event in our minds. So I suggest that we remember July 11, 2008 as Peak Oil Day." -- Richard HeinbergAnother urban nomad kind-of-a-day finally brought the completion of my research about the Dead Sea Scrolls, which also formally ends my religious research. At the library, I completed Baigent and Leigh's book, "Dead Sea Scrolls Deception." The second half of the book is riveting, to the least. I attempted to locate several books by Robert Eisenman, but all were misplaced, lost, or stolen. Eisenman is another Biblical scholar who is adamant about the link between the Dead Sea Scrolls and early Christianity.
There have been very few researchers and scholars who were willing to put forward their controversial theses about the link between the radical Judaism of the Intertestamental Period and early Christianity. The reason is quite obvious. Religion is a part of the "Holy Trinty" of the human "kabuki theater" drama along with government and big business. Religion has become a cornerstone socio-political and economic institution. Any threat to the status quo could bring down the whole "house of cards.
The irony, of course, is that anyone who reads the Good Book just once in a thorough fashion will immediately take note of the various inconsistencies, anachronisms, and inaccuracies that are scattered throughout its pages. Once those problems are identified, the need to investigate further is a must. Yet, billions of people (who may or may not have read the Scriptures) are immersed in blind faith. Does the prospect of hope override all common sense?
Another urban nomad kind-of-an-evening found me sitting in a stupor in front of my Toshiba® Satellite notebook computer. There was nothing for me to do. No new hurdy-gurdy "torrents" on the Pure T 'n A site worth acquiring. Not enough "leechers" to "seed" my existing "torrents." Ubuntu Linux continues to give me grief. My supposed fix for the media players did not work. I am still getting the "blue screen" freeze. Heck, I should have been gathering more junk to divest or discard instead.
Friday, July 10, 2009
Down to Nothing
On my way to Hawai'i Kai this morning, I dropped off my Dirt Devil® Quick Power® handheld vacuum cleaner in the Goodwill drop box. Divestiture of my useless possession is becoming easier and easier. Frankly, there's really not much left to divest. And, no, I am not divesting my DeLonghi® "retro" all-in-one contact grill and panini press.
Moms and I ended up at Foodland in Koko Marina after we ate lunch at Zippy's. Later, moms served Foremost® coffee and vanilla ice cream for dessert. I kept moms company until 1pm. Then, I drove my Nissan® Frontier truck back to Koko Marina, surprisingly found shaded parking, walked to the gym, performed my usual workout, shopped at Foodland, and returned to Slob Manor (read: rental housing).
During another benign urban nomad kind-of-an-evening, I managed to notice that I have accumulated too many consumables. Although I am attempting to deplete them completely, I have realized that, in some cases, I have over a year's supply of the consumables in question. What exactly was I thinking when I stocked up on that crap? Although I only have a mild case of the hoarding mentality, I am perturbed by the needless clutter that results. Then, there's the proliferation of plastic shopping bags ... oh, the horror!
Moms and I ended up at Foodland in Koko Marina after we ate lunch at Zippy's. Later, moms served Foremost® coffee and vanilla ice cream for dessert. I kept moms company until 1pm. Then, I drove my Nissan® Frontier truck back to Koko Marina, surprisingly found shaded parking, walked to the gym, performed my usual workout, shopped at Foodland, and returned to Slob Manor (read: rental housing).
During another benign urban nomad kind-of-an-evening, I managed to notice that I have accumulated too many consumables. Although I am attempting to deplete them completely, I have realized that, in some cases, I have over a year's supply of the consumables in question. What exactly was I thinking when I stocked up on that crap? Although I only have a mild case of the hoarding mentality, I am perturbed by the needless clutter that results. Then, there's the proliferation of plastic shopping bags ... oh, the horror!
Thursday, July 09, 2009
No Hope, No Faith
What kind of day was it? Did you say, "An urban nomad kind-of-a-day"? How did you know? Alas, absolutely nothing out of the ordinary transpired. You knew that already, didn't you? So, why am I even composing the "blog"?
I am observing the drama of human stupidity all around me, but I do so now with a very different frame of mind. As can be seen, I have been going through some kind of metaphysical crisis lately. My religious research has been the cause of a rather rude awakening. The vast majority of humans are banking on the Almighty for a variety of Divine Interventions ranging from Armageddon to resurrection whether they are fanatics or casual believers. Hope appears to be the romantic plight of the human species. Rather than deal with our own problems directly, we have resorted to wishful thinking through hope and faith. Thus, we wait for the Almighty to bring justice upon humanity. In addition, few people truly want to believe that, after our short tenure on the planet, the party is over. We are never coming back to earth or "Heaven." Our souls, our memories, our lives will expire permanently.
The aggregate human "kabuki theater" drama appears foolish to me. Much of what we say, and how we act, is based upon some kind of flawed religious or philosophical belief. We just don't understand the limitations of our mortality. We have also cast off the responsibility for our miscreant deeds to "otherworldly" demons. Thus, our true "quality of life" has degenerated.
Obviously, I am guilty of the same flawed thinking. Why didn't I engage in religious research ten or twenty years ago? Well, there are a lot of things I should have done ten or twenty years ago. I could have read the Good Book, though. That would have put an end to any kind of wishful thinking (i.e., hope and faith) early on.
Well, I remain in a state of confusion. I do not expect any change insofar as the exodus is concerned. However, my mendicant life-style will no longer serve as a conduit to spirituality. Apparently, the concept is non-existent. Life is still a journey, but the sights and itinerary have seemingly changed.
I am observing the drama of human stupidity all around me, but I do so now with a very different frame of mind. As can be seen, I have been going through some kind of metaphysical crisis lately. My religious research has been the cause of a rather rude awakening. The vast majority of humans are banking on the Almighty for a variety of Divine Interventions ranging from Armageddon to resurrection whether they are fanatics or casual believers. Hope appears to be the romantic plight of the human species. Rather than deal with our own problems directly, we have resorted to wishful thinking through hope and faith. Thus, we wait for the Almighty to bring justice upon humanity. In addition, few people truly want to believe that, after our short tenure on the planet, the party is over. We are never coming back to earth or "Heaven." Our souls, our memories, our lives will expire permanently.
The aggregate human "kabuki theater" drama appears foolish to me. Much of what we say, and how we act, is based upon some kind of flawed religious or philosophical belief. We just don't understand the limitations of our mortality. We have also cast off the responsibility for our miscreant deeds to "otherworldly" demons. Thus, our true "quality of life" has degenerated.
Obviously, I am guilty of the same flawed thinking. Why didn't I engage in religious research ten or twenty years ago? Well, there are a lot of things I should have done ten or twenty years ago. I could have read the Good Book, though. That would have put an end to any kind of wishful thinking (i.e., hope and faith) early on.
Well, I remain in a state of confusion. I do not expect any change insofar as the exodus is concerned. However, my mendicant life-style will no longer serve as a conduit to spirituality. Apparently, the concept is non-existent. Life is still a journey, but the sights and itinerary have seemingly changed.
Wednesday, July 08, 2009
Dualism
Another urban nomad kind-of-a-day ... collapsing the the space-time continuum one second at a time. Another day has passed, and the blur between morning and evening has become even fuzzier. What exactly happened today? Ah, yes. I observed that the patronage of the library has increasingly skewed toward the homeless and halfway-house derelicts. Sheesh!
I completed reading John Allegro's book, "The Dead Sea Scrolls and the Myth of Christianity." Allegro's research is top-notch. Unfortunately, many people will be put off by his underlying assumption that Christianity is a farce. Allegro does not mince his words. As for me, I am pretty much convinced. I will now most likely divest my $40 copy of the NLT (New Living Translation) Study Bible. What a waste!
In place of Allegro's other older book, I will be reading, "Dead Sea Scrolls Deception," by Michael Baigent and Richard Leigh to complete the official Dead Sea Scrolls research. I am now in my sixth straight month of religious research. Frankly, I am having a difficult time with its closure. Is it really that simple to dent the credibility of the "Big Three" world religions? Have billions of people been bamboozled by a small group of frustrated ancient Judaic priest-prophets?
Where do we go from here? That's the big question, isn't it? I have had ample time to reflect upon a non-Biblical creation (i.e., the Creator not being the God of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam). In other words, I have been attempting to reconcile the idea that the Creator has left humanity to its own devices. However, we have been given the gift of ultimate "free will." Sad to say, it's actually quite scary knowing that we can only depend on other humans.
I believe that the ancient Persians were partially correct in assuming the dualistic nature of life. However, rather than delineate upon "good" versus "evil" (i.e., light versus darkness), we can consider the dualism of creation, or I should say, creation versus destruction. Ultimately, every physical creation must end up destroyed. Destruction is a natural effect of creation. In between the two events is the passage of time. Can the Creator turn back time? Well, that's the same as asking whether the Creator can create a rock that is too heavy for Him to lift. Surprisingly, the answer to the reversal of time question is a resounding, "No." The Creator cannot turn back time because He created a system of laws to govern the physical universe that cannot be broken. Eventually, the entire universe will collapse (i.e., destroy itself). Nothing lasts forever in the physical universe. And, even the Creator cannot stop or reverse the process.
In our own microcosm, we humans find that we have the limited ability to create things and to procreate. We also have the ability to destroy things or lifeforms. We have no ability to turn back time, nor can we effect eternal life. Our only consolation is that we possess complete "free will" during the tenure of our existence. Unfortunately, we have misused our power of "free will" to hasten our microcosmic destruction.
Ancient societies were already aware of the creation dualism. However, there were those who could not accept the reality that the Creator left us to our own devices. The latter desperately attempted to connect with the Creator, which resulted in frantic measures to appease unknown gods of their own making. The irony, of course, is that we were born perfect humans for the most part. We have been endowed with a gamut of emotions and feelings. We have been given superb mental faculties and self-awareness. We were anointed with the power of "free will" to make moral judgments. The only justice is what we ourselves dispense. In the end, humanity ran afoul of its own perfection. We looked for deities and demons to assign to our own miscreant deeds. We ducked responsibility because we denied our human perfection. Now, we have simply hastened our own destruction.
I secure no comfort in knowing that my mortality is part of human perfection. Perhaps the span of the average human lifetime just seems too short. Even a tortoise lives longer than a human. Is there no justice? Apparently humans have thought about the same concept for aeons. Appeals to gods and deities have had no result. Overall, overpopulation is really the cause of most of our problems, along with resource depletion. Thus, we are already approaching the "breaking point." Imagine if our lifespans were much longer. The "breaking point" would have occurred a long time ago.
I completed reading John Allegro's book, "The Dead Sea Scrolls and the Myth of Christianity." Allegro's research is top-notch. Unfortunately, many people will be put off by his underlying assumption that Christianity is a farce. Allegro does not mince his words. As for me, I am pretty much convinced. I will now most likely divest my $40 copy of the NLT (New Living Translation) Study Bible. What a waste!
In place of Allegro's other older book, I will be reading, "Dead Sea Scrolls Deception," by Michael Baigent and Richard Leigh to complete the official Dead Sea Scrolls research. I am now in my sixth straight month of religious research. Frankly, I am having a difficult time with its closure. Is it really that simple to dent the credibility of the "Big Three" world religions? Have billions of people been bamboozled by a small group of frustrated ancient Judaic priest-prophets?
Where do we go from here? That's the big question, isn't it? I have had ample time to reflect upon a non-Biblical creation (i.e., the Creator not being the God of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam). In other words, I have been attempting to reconcile the idea that the Creator has left humanity to its own devices. However, we have been given the gift of ultimate "free will." Sad to say, it's actually quite scary knowing that we can only depend on other humans.
I believe that the ancient Persians were partially correct in assuming the dualistic nature of life. However, rather than delineate upon "good" versus "evil" (i.e., light versus darkness), we can consider the dualism of creation, or I should say, creation versus destruction. Ultimately, every physical creation must end up destroyed. Destruction is a natural effect of creation. In between the two events is the passage of time. Can the Creator turn back time? Well, that's the same as asking whether the Creator can create a rock that is too heavy for Him to lift. Surprisingly, the answer to the reversal of time question is a resounding, "No." The Creator cannot turn back time because He created a system of laws to govern the physical universe that cannot be broken. Eventually, the entire universe will collapse (i.e., destroy itself). Nothing lasts forever in the physical universe. And, even the Creator cannot stop or reverse the process.
In our own microcosm, we humans find that we have the limited ability to create things and to procreate. We also have the ability to destroy things or lifeforms. We have no ability to turn back time, nor can we effect eternal life. Our only consolation is that we possess complete "free will" during the tenure of our existence. Unfortunately, we have misused our power of "free will" to hasten our microcosmic destruction.
Ancient societies were already aware of the creation dualism. However, there were those who could not accept the reality that the Creator left us to our own devices. The latter desperately attempted to connect with the Creator, which resulted in frantic measures to appease unknown gods of their own making. The irony, of course, is that we were born perfect humans for the most part. We have been endowed with a gamut of emotions and feelings. We have been given superb mental faculties and self-awareness. We were anointed with the power of "free will" to make moral judgments. The only justice is what we ourselves dispense. In the end, humanity ran afoul of its own perfection. We looked for deities and demons to assign to our own miscreant deeds. We ducked responsibility because we denied our human perfection. Now, we have simply hastened our own destruction.
I secure no comfort in knowing that my mortality is part of human perfection. Perhaps the span of the average human lifetime just seems too short. Even a tortoise lives longer than a human. Is there no justice? Apparently humans have thought about the same concept for aeons. Appeals to gods and deities have had no result. Overall, overpopulation is really the cause of most of our problems, along with resource depletion. Thus, we are already approaching the "breaking point." Imagine if our lifespans were much longer. The "breaking point" would have occurred a long time ago.
Tuesday, July 07, 2009
Agnostic Visions
Another urban nomad kind-of-a-day was piddled away with pleasure. Yet more meaningless pursuits were entertained by the oversized cranium. In other words, the same itinerary was followed. In no time, I found myself back at Slob Manor (read: rental housing). Did I even leave the dump this morning? Who is to say? Perhaps, I am just going through a series of visions much like the Biblical priest-prophets of old.
That brings me to the topic of John Allegro's book, "The Dead Sea Scrolls and the Christian Myth." I have decided to read just the most current of his books at the library. To say that Allegro is not a Christian would be an understatement. I can see why he was severely discredited. He posed a threat to the very foundation of the "Big Three" world religions. I, myself, am no longer shocked by any alleged agnostic theses. I have already accepted that the Scriptures are seriously flawed.
There's not much else to report. I encountered scores of inconsiderate satanic gargoyles all day. The numbers seem to be increasing by the day. These are not signs of the "Last Days." The Almighty is not coming around to destroy the wicked. Humanity is on a collision course with its own destruction, but the latter is not attributable to any demons. Human hands are responsible. Frankly, I am beginning to believe that the true "Bible" is Daniel Estulin's book, "The True Story of the Bilderberg Group." Estulin is probably a better prophet than his counterparts in the Scriptures.
By the way, have you checked out the Codex Sinaiticus site yet? Peruse the oldest version of the Good Book. Note the inclusion of books that were not accepted into the "official" (read: "orthodox") canon. What does that tell you?
That brings me to the topic of John Allegro's book, "The Dead Sea Scrolls and the Christian Myth." I have decided to read just the most current of his books at the library. To say that Allegro is not a Christian would be an understatement. I can see why he was severely discredited. He posed a threat to the very foundation of the "Big Three" world religions. I, myself, am no longer shocked by any alleged agnostic theses. I have already accepted that the Scriptures are seriously flawed.
There's not much else to report. I encountered scores of inconsiderate satanic gargoyles all day. The numbers seem to be increasing by the day. These are not signs of the "Last Days." The Almighty is not coming around to destroy the wicked. Humanity is on a collision course with its own destruction, but the latter is not attributable to any demons. Human hands are responsible. Frankly, I am beginning to believe that the true "Bible" is Daniel Estulin's book, "The True Story of the Bilderberg Group." Estulin is probably a better prophet than his counterparts in the Scriptures.
By the way, have you checked out the Codex Sinaiticus site yet? Peruse the oldest version of the Good Book. Note the inclusion of books that were not accepted into the "official" (read: "orthodox") canon. What does that tell you?
Monday, July 06, 2009
Absolutely Nothing
Another Monday ... another visit to Hawai'i Kai. Moms and I made the usual Monday rounds. For lunch, we at at Yummy's. Later, moms served pumpkin pie with Foremost® coffee ice cream for dessert. As usual, I kept moms company until 1:30pm.
I drove my Nissan® Frontier truck to Koko Marina, found shaded parking, walked to the gym, performed my usual workout, shopped at Foodland, and returned to Slob Manor (read: rental housing). Incidentally, the ceiling fans were never installed on the second floor. So, the dump remains hotter than hell in the afternoon.
I previously mentioned in the "blog" that I would not patronize Foodland given the poor customer service skills that permeates the establishment were it not for the few exemplary employees (i.e., Solomon, Kau'i, and William) at the Koko Marina store. So, that's my brief tribute to them.
I have carefully chosen and installed Screem on my Toshiba® Satellite notebook computer. Screem is an HTML editor designed for Gnome®/Linux. However, I haven't made a final decision whether I will clean up the old LoserNet site or not. Seems like a waste of time, actually.
I am not certain about how much longer I can tolerate the benign life-style that I have created for myself. Obviously, there is not much meaning that I can derive from riding the bus, working out at the gym, hanging out at the library, shopping for food, or sitting in my squalid room all night. The routine remains the same. However, I am growing older and more decrepit by the day. Moms has been spending more time in preparation of her own passing (i.e., sorting paperwork, modifying Hosoi funeral plan, etc.), which has served to remind me of my only purpose for being here in Hawai'i. I will continue to honor my commitment.
I have only given a slight amount of consideration about my own future when moms' time comes. My world will pretty much collapse once moms is gone. I don't plan to re-establish any other old familial ties. That's done and over with. The sole idea that I have come up with so far is to jettison everything and become a homeless wanderer. Well, at least that seems to be the rationale for the exodus. I have no other plans or contingencies at this time. There's nothing to fall back upon. There's no "safety net." There's absolutely nothing.
I drove my Nissan® Frontier truck to Koko Marina, found shaded parking, walked to the gym, performed my usual workout, shopped at Foodland, and returned to Slob Manor (read: rental housing). Incidentally, the ceiling fans were never installed on the second floor. So, the dump remains hotter than hell in the afternoon.
I previously mentioned in the "blog" that I would not patronize Foodland given the poor customer service skills that permeates the establishment were it not for the few exemplary employees (i.e., Solomon, Kau'i, and William) at the Koko Marina store. So, that's my brief tribute to them.
I have carefully chosen and installed Screem on my Toshiba® Satellite notebook computer. Screem is an HTML editor designed for Gnome®/Linux. However, I haven't made a final decision whether I will clean up the old LoserNet site or not. Seems like a waste of time, actually.
I am not certain about how much longer I can tolerate the benign life-style that I have created for myself. Obviously, there is not much meaning that I can derive from riding the bus, working out at the gym, hanging out at the library, shopping for food, or sitting in my squalid room all night. The routine remains the same. However, I am growing older and more decrepit by the day. Moms has been spending more time in preparation of her own passing (i.e., sorting paperwork, modifying Hosoi funeral plan, etc.), which has served to remind me of my only purpose for being here in Hawai'i. I will continue to honor my commitment.
I have only given a slight amount of consideration about my own future when moms' time comes. My world will pretty much collapse once moms is gone. I don't plan to re-establish any other old familial ties. That's done and over with. The sole idea that I have come up with so far is to jettison everything and become a homeless wanderer. Well, at least that seems to be the rationale for the exodus. I have no other plans or contingencies at this time. There's nothing to fall back upon. There's no "safety net." There's absolutely nothing.
Sunday, July 05, 2009
Pseudo-Exodus Redux
Another urban nomad kind-of-a-Sunday ... almost a clone of last Sunday. My bus ride back to Slob Manor (read: rental housing) was marred by the Route 24 bus driver's impromptu chat with his Weedwacker-clutching buddy along the way. We spent about five minutes at some location along Kilau'ea Avenue in Kahala during the process. Normally, I would arrive in time make an almost immediate connection with the Route 1 bus at the Aina Haina Shopping Center. Obviously, I missed the connection and had to wait over 30 minutes for the next bus. The $50 monthly bus pass makes the preceding incident intolerable. When I finally set foot in my squalid room, I immediately performed the dreaded laundry chores.
For dinner, I ate the Yakitori Bento that I purchased this afternoon at Foodland in Ala Moana Center. I also purchased an Icee® beverage that was quite horrible. I attributed the bad quality of the beverage to the newer model of Icee® dispenser at that location.
I had to battle with a number of mosquitoes late this afternoon because the Chinaman left the front door open all morning. He was hammering away on an idiotic project of his at 7:30am. Is this clown a moron, or what? Naturally, all of the mosquitoes ended up in my squalid room. The Chinaman has also purchased a beat-up imported SUV to replace the last piece of junk (i.e., green-colored, domestic model, 4-door sedan). What about his alleged money problems?
Ever since the barbaric divestment of my Rubbermaid® cooler, I have found little sentimental value in any of my possessions. Divestiture is a top priority for me, even when it comes to Linux software for my Toshiba® Satellite notebook computer. I uninstalled two small applications this evening. I would like to rid myself of the bloated Firefox browser, but there is nothing comparable available. I am also searching for a good HTML editor, just in case I decide to clean up the old LoserNet site.
There is still a lot more for me to divest. I have learned that the best policy is to not purchase anything, if possible. Better to borrow or rent anything that is not used regularly. With that said, I will probably divest my Dirt Devil® Quick Power® handheld vacuum cleaner at the end of the year. By then, I will reach break-even (with respect to the equivalent usage of a coin-operated vacuum cleaner at a service station). Incidentally, in the age of Peak Oil, anything that requires fuel or electricity is basically useless.
On a side note, I perused a book titled, "The True Story of the Bilderberg Group," by Daniel Estulin at Barnes & Noble® yesterday. Ho boy! I found the information to be both intriguing and disturbing. I am sure that a lot of people are going to equate the book with "tinfoil hat" nonsense. So, I'll leave it at that.
Lastly, I was amazed to see so many hotties out today ... at the gym, at Ala Moana Center, in Waikiki, on the bus. Obviously, that's neither here or there for the ol' lavahead. The Vienna Sausage is "on its last leg," what with the heart palpitations and all. The ol' lavahead's time has come and gone. Babes are no longer in the picture. He only has the exodus to look forward to.
For dinner, I ate the Yakitori Bento that I purchased this afternoon at Foodland in Ala Moana Center. I also purchased an Icee® beverage that was quite horrible. I attributed the bad quality of the beverage to the newer model of Icee® dispenser at that location.
I had to battle with a number of mosquitoes late this afternoon because the Chinaman left the front door open all morning. He was hammering away on an idiotic project of his at 7:30am. Is this clown a moron, or what? Naturally, all of the mosquitoes ended up in my squalid room. The Chinaman has also purchased a beat-up imported SUV to replace the last piece of junk (i.e., green-colored, domestic model, 4-door sedan). What about his alleged money problems?
Ever since the barbaric divestment of my Rubbermaid® cooler, I have found little sentimental value in any of my possessions. Divestiture is a top priority for me, even when it comes to Linux software for my Toshiba® Satellite notebook computer. I uninstalled two small applications this evening. I would like to rid myself of the bloated Firefox browser, but there is nothing comparable available. I am also searching for a good HTML editor, just in case I decide to clean up the old LoserNet site.
There is still a lot more for me to divest. I have learned that the best policy is to not purchase anything, if possible. Better to borrow or rent anything that is not used regularly. With that said, I will probably divest my Dirt Devil® Quick Power® handheld vacuum cleaner at the end of the year. By then, I will reach break-even (with respect to the equivalent usage of a coin-operated vacuum cleaner at a service station). Incidentally, in the age of Peak Oil, anything that requires fuel or electricity is basically useless.
On a side note, I perused a book titled, "The True Story of the Bilderberg Group," by Daniel Estulin at Barnes & Noble® yesterday. Ho boy! I found the information to be both intriguing and disturbing. I am sure that a lot of people are going to equate the book with "tinfoil hat" nonsense. So, I'll leave it at that.
Lastly, I was amazed to see so many hotties out today ... at the gym, at Ala Moana Center, in Waikiki, on the bus. Obviously, that's neither here or there for the ol' lavahead. The Vienna Sausage is "on its last leg," what with the heart palpitations and all. The ol' lavahead's time has come and gone. Babes are no longer in the picture. He only has the exodus to look forward to.
Saturday, July 04, 2009
Slave Day 2009
"I previously referred to the holiday as 'Independence' Day. However, let's face the facts ... there is no independence except for the extremely wealthy elite class. The rest of us are slaves, to wages or to poverty. Or, to both. Yet, many of the peons are still unable to distinguish their asses from a hole in the ground. They continue to live 'high on the hog' until they either run out of petrol or money. Or, both. The 'system' is unwinding, at least for the proletariat class of losers. Yet, the losers remain ensconced in denial. Welcome to Slave Day 2008!" -- From the "blog" of July 4, 2008Welcome to Slave Day 2009! I ended up at Barnes & Noble® in Kahala Mall again this morning. I returned to Slob Manor (read: rental housing) at noon. I gulped down some granola for lunch and was on my way to town on the bus at 12:15pm. I performed my usual workout in a leisurely fashion at the gym. Then, I returned to Slob Manor.
I'll be spending another urban nomad kind-of-an-evening in my squalid room. I have nothing to celebrate. Thus, I will continue to "seed" my one and only hurdy-gurdy "torrent" on the Pure T 'n A site to build up my ratio. The site, incidentally, is still having problems.
Last night, I enabled Ubuntu Tweak to add the repository for the latest version of OpenOffice software. The upgrade went fine. However, tonight I discovered that the program would immediately crash when invoked. Thus, I uninstalled the entire OpenOffice.org suite. I then installed the older version. Sadly, the GUI was screwed up (i.e., did not take on the Ubuntu theme). So, I declared my "independence" and completely removed it. I replaced the spreadsheet application with Gnumeric. Later, I will probably install a light-weight word processor (e.g., AbiWord) in another declaration of "independence."
I am actually becoming sick and tired of complexity. Life has become too complex. Computer software has become too complex. Useless possessions add to the complexity. Therefore, we can reclaim some semblance of "independence" by moving toward simplicity. When the complex crap stops working, mummify it. When the clutter becomes too complex, divest it. When the enslavement becomes intolerable, emancipate yourself.
Friday, July 03, 2009
Pink Noise
I was off to Kahala Mall on the bus this morning at 8:15am. The mall was fairly busy, thanks to the myriad senior citizens who walk the entire loop for a workout. There is also a large exercise class for senior citizens by the center stage. As usual, I spent my time at Barnes & Noble®. To be honest, I now much prefer the library. Sitting around in a consumerist haven is no longer enjoyable to me.
I returned to Slob Manor (read: rental housing) by noon. I washed my Nissan® Frontier truck and cleaned the interior with my Dirt Devil® Quick Power® handheld vacuum cleaner. I also performed some minor exterior detailing.
At 1:40pm, I drove to Hawai'i Kai. I stopped off at Kale's Natural Foods in Kuapa Kai to purchase bulk psyllium. The price was $8 per pound, about $2.50 more than Down to Earth. I finally ended up at Koko Marina. I found shaded parking, walked to the gym, performed my usual workout, shopped at Foodland, and returned to Slob Manor. I purchased half of a lamp-baked chicken and a side dish of rice for dinner.
Every evening, I also eat one piece of fruit, usually a navel orange, a Fuji apple, a Bosc pear, or a banana. That's hardly enough, but certainly more than I used to eat. And, for dessert, I have eating Foremost® orange sherbet/vanilla ice cream. There's just nothing that compares to ice cream. Sadly, ice cream in on the low cholesterol diet's forbidden list. Nonetheless, I cannot seem to give up my craving for ice cream.
I returned to Slob Manor (read: rental housing) by noon. I washed my Nissan® Frontier truck and cleaned the interior with my Dirt Devil® Quick Power® handheld vacuum cleaner. I also performed some minor exterior detailing.
At 1:40pm, I drove to Hawai'i Kai. I stopped off at Kale's Natural Foods in Kuapa Kai to purchase bulk psyllium. The price was $8 per pound, about $2.50 more than Down to Earth. I finally ended up at Koko Marina. I found shaded parking, walked to the gym, performed my usual workout, shopped at Foodland, and returned to Slob Manor. I purchased half of a lamp-baked chicken and a side dish of rice for dinner.
Every evening, I also eat one piece of fruit, usually a navel orange, a Fuji apple, a Bosc pear, or a banana. That's hardly enough, but certainly more than I used to eat. And, for dessert, I have eating Foremost® orange sherbet/vanilla ice cream. There's just nothing that compares to ice cream. Sadly, ice cream in on the low cholesterol diet's forbidden list. Nonetheless, I cannot seem to give up my craving for ice cream.
Thursday, July 02, 2009
Symbiosis in Antiquity
Another urban nomad kind-of-a-day ... back to the routine. Absolutely nothing out of the ordinary transpired. The buses were quite full today regardless of the fare increase. Most of the passengers appeared to have gone on a shopping spree, so I assume that the "green shoots" in the economy are blooming like crazy. Traffic on the road was horrendous as well. As I have observed before, traffic tends to increase as petrol prices increase. Wrong is right.
At the library, I continued reading two books about the Dead Sea Scrolls by John Allegro concurrently. Unfortunately, in both books, Allegro assumes that the Dead Sea Scrolls were the work of the monastic Essenes. Although he was a member of the original International Team, Allegro apparently was not aware that there are at least 500 different scribal styles (i.e., "handwriting") amongst the myriad scrolls and fragments that were found found. Nonetheless, I am still very much interested in his observations about the origins of Christianity.
Actually, the issue about Christianity is quite moot. I have learned that the Hebrew Scriptures (so-called "Old Testament") was not canonized in its final form until as late as 2 CE. We also know very little about who exactly were involved in the canonization process. Were they priest-prophets? Was the Sanhedrin involved? What were the selection criteria? Then, we have the later Jewish Intertestimental writings. What are we to make of that?
I tried to imagine myself as a devout Israelite at that time, perhaps a lower priest. Imagine the doom and gloom of the impending siege by the Roman Empire. After a lifetime of following the Mosaic Law and offering up burnt sacrifices, there appeared to be no miracle on the horizon. No matter how many scrolls of apocalyptic eschatology the scribes and prophets churned out, there seemed to be no answer from God. As a lower priest, I chanted the contents of the scrolls to the masses in the synagogues. The words did not fall upon deaf ears. The people responded to the Law, and took it upon themselves to follow it more religiously, so to speak. Alas, word still arrived that the Roman army was rolling through Palestine and heading straight for Jerusalem. The "end of days" was approaching, but the Almighty and the Messiah was nowhere in sight.
Imagine that much the same chaos ensued when the Babylonians conquered Judah and exiled its residents. Hence, the Priest-prophets like Isaiah and Daniel wrote scathing denunciations of Babylon and prophesied its destruction by the Almighty.
Unfortunately, I am not a lower priest in ancient Judea. I am lowly peon in the 21st century awaiting the secular Apocalypse in much the same fashion as my Judaic lower priest counterpart. Prior to my extensive religious research, I was counting on Divine Intervention in the form of Armageddon to occur before the secular Apocalypse. For me and the other more radical dispensationalists, there was a hope for eternal justice. "Good" would prevail over "evil." Now, with the credibility of the Scriptures being very low, there is no hope. There will be no eternal justice. By the same token, there is no Law. Thus, we must continue to go back in time to our origin ... to our time of creation ... to make sense of it all.
I was still somewhat dumbfounded that the Chinaman had emancipated himself from wage slavery. Well, not exactly. He is still hustling odd jobs down in Chinatown. When I arrived back at Slob Manor (read: rental housing) this afternoon, I noticed that there was a letter to the Chinaman from "Child Support Services - Enforcement Division." Well, I can probably understand why he emancipated himself from wage slavery. Every dime that he earned was being paid out for rent, cigarettes, and child support. I then realized that, as bad as my situation is, I could have been a lot worse off than I am.
At the library, I continued reading two books about the Dead Sea Scrolls by John Allegro concurrently. Unfortunately, in both books, Allegro assumes that the Dead Sea Scrolls were the work of the monastic Essenes. Although he was a member of the original International Team, Allegro apparently was not aware that there are at least 500 different scribal styles (i.e., "handwriting") amongst the myriad scrolls and fragments that were found found. Nonetheless, I am still very much interested in his observations about the origins of Christianity.
Actually, the issue about Christianity is quite moot. I have learned that the Hebrew Scriptures (so-called "Old Testament") was not canonized in its final form until as late as 2 CE. We also know very little about who exactly were involved in the canonization process. Were they priest-prophets? Was the Sanhedrin involved? What were the selection criteria? Then, we have the later Jewish Intertestimental writings. What are we to make of that?
I tried to imagine myself as a devout Israelite at that time, perhaps a lower priest. Imagine the doom and gloom of the impending siege by the Roman Empire. After a lifetime of following the Mosaic Law and offering up burnt sacrifices, there appeared to be no miracle on the horizon. No matter how many scrolls of apocalyptic eschatology the scribes and prophets churned out, there seemed to be no answer from God. As a lower priest, I chanted the contents of the scrolls to the masses in the synagogues. The words did not fall upon deaf ears. The people responded to the Law, and took it upon themselves to follow it more religiously, so to speak. Alas, word still arrived that the Roman army was rolling through Palestine and heading straight for Jerusalem. The "end of days" was approaching, but the Almighty and the Messiah was nowhere in sight.
Imagine that much the same chaos ensued when the Babylonians conquered Judah and exiled its residents. Hence, the Priest-prophets like Isaiah and Daniel wrote scathing denunciations of Babylon and prophesied its destruction by the Almighty.
Unfortunately, I am not a lower priest in ancient Judea. I am lowly peon in the 21st century awaiting the secular Apocalypse in much the same fashion as my Judaic lower priest counterpart. Prior to my extensive religious research, I was counting on Divine Intervention in the form of Armageddon to occur before the secular Apocalypse. For me and the other more radical dispensationalists, there was a hope for eternal justice. "Good" would prevail over "evil." Now, with the credibility of the Scriptures being very low, there is no hope. There will be no eternal justice. By the same token, there is no Law. Thus, we must continue to go back in time to our origin ... to our time of creation ... to make sense of it all.
I was still somewhat dumbfounded that the Chinaman had emancipated himself from wage slavery. Well, not exactly. He is still hustling odd jobs down in Chinatown. When I arrived back at Slob Manor (read: rental housing) this afternoon, I noticed that there was a letter to the Chinaman from "Child Support Services - Enforcement Division." Well, I can probably understand why he emancipated himself from wage slavery. Every dime that he earned was being paid out for rent, cigarettes, and child support. I then realized that, as bad as my situation is, I could have been a lot worse off than I am.
Wednesday, July 01, 2009
Tidbits Galore
I was on my way to Hawai'i Kai at 8:50pm this morning in my Nissan® Frontier truck. My first big surprise was to discover that petrol prices shot up once again. The lowest grade is now going for $3.24 per gallon. Moms was home when I arrived. We followed a similar itinerary as we did on Monday since I had to stop off at my local bank, in Kuapa Kai. I had to withdraw money to purchase a bus pass. The second big surprise was my payment of $50 for a bus pass (an increase of $10). The price will go up another $10 in January as part of the City's plan to assuage its budget crisis.
For lunch, moms served up homemade Curry Stew, ahi sashimi, fresh vegetables, and rice. For dessert, moms served pumpkin pie with Foremost® coffee ice cream. I kept moms company until 1:40pm.
I was able to find shaded parking in Koko Marina immediately. I then walked to the gym, performed my usual workout, shopped at Foodland, and returned to Slob Manor (read: rental housing) in time to perform the dreaded laundry chores.
Later, Pat, the landlord, happened to stop by. I was downstairs at the time, so I could not avoid chatting with her. Well, at least I was able to hear the latest Slob Manor news. The Chinaman is apparently out of work and has been for a while. He even quit the union. He's been doing odd jobs here and there, but he is now not able to make the rent. As a family friend, the landlord has been giving him substantial breaks including reduced rent. So, the Chinaman will probably be moving soon. The UH doctoral student is also planning to move out. Ceiling fans are being installed this weekend on the second floor. The chick who rented the studio that is attached to the house has moved out. A new guy moved in today. Slob Manor ... revolving door tenancy.
Here's an interesting tidbit from Bloomberg:
For lunch, moms served up homemade Curry Stew, ahi sashimi, fresh vegetables, and rice. For dessert, moms served pumpkin pie with Foremost® coffee ice cream. I kept moms company until 1:40pm.
I was able to find shaded parking in Koko Marina immediately. I then walked to the gym, performed my usual workout, shopped at Foodland, and returned to Slob Manor (read: rental housing) in time to perform the dreaded laundry chores.
Later, Pat, the landlord, happened to stop by. I was downstairs at the time, so I could not avoid chatting with her. Well, at least I was able to hear the latest Slob Manor news. The Chinaman is apparently out of work and has been for a while. He even quit the union. He's been doing odd jobs here and there, but he is now not able to make the rent. As a family friend, the landlord has been giving him substantial breaks including reduced rent. So, the Chinaman will probably be moving soon. The UH doctoral student is also planning to move out. Ceiling fans are being installed this weekend on the second floor. The chick who rented the studio that is attached to the house has moved out. A new guy moved in today. Slob Manor ... revolving door tenancy.
Here's an interesting tidbit from Bloomberg:
As many as one in five U.S. hotel loans may default through 2010 as the recession means companies are spending less on travel and perks, according to University of California economist Kenneth Rosen.Heck, we are already seeing that problem in Hawai'i. The Ilikai is the going through a major crisis. How long before the others go down? And, what about the damned "condotel"?
The value of hotel properties in default or foreclosure almost doubled to $17.3 billion in the second quarter through June 24 from $9 billion at the end of the first quarter, data compiled by Real Capital Analytics Inc. show. The New York-based research firm, which began tracking distressed commercial property in November, expects hotel defaults to increase by as much as $2 billion this quarter, said analyst Jessica Ruderman.
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