Too Far Removed

"The illusionists who shape our culture, and who profit from our incredulity, hold up the gilded cult of Us. Popular expressions of religious belief, personal empowerment, corporatism, political participation and self-definition argue that all of us are special, entitled and unique. All of us, by tapping into our inner reserves of personal will and undiscovered talent, by visualizing what we want, can achieve, and deserve to achieve, happiness, fame and success. This relentless message cuts across ideological lines. This mantra has seeped into every aspect of our lives. We are all entitled to everything. And because of this self-absorption, and deep self-delusion, we have become a country of child-like adults who speak and think in the inane gibberish of popular culture." -- Chris Hedges

I was on my way to Hawai'i Kai in my Nissan® Frontier truck at 8am this morning. Moms and I only made the rounds in Koko Marina. Lunch was courtesy Yummy's Korean BBQ. Later, moms served Foremost® coffee ice cream for dessert.

Moms briefly told me about the huge international convention held at the Hawai'i Convention Center that she attended. The convention was sponsored by moms' church. About 24,000 delegates from around the world were in attendance. The program itself was only four days long. Thus, every four days, there was a turnover of attendees. Moms was there for the last four days commencing on the No-Holiday Holiday (formerly known as Thanksgiving Day). Moms had a whole box full of memorabilia given to her by numerous delegates that she had met. Of course, according to David Icke, moms' church as well as the Church of Jesus Christ and Latter Day Saints (i.e., Mormons) are both mind-controlling cults with shape-shifting reptilian extraterrestrials (SSREs) populating their respective governing bodies.

I kept moms company until 2:30pm. Then, it was time for moms to take an afternoon nap. I ended up at the gym in Koko Marina, only to discover that I had left my combination lock at the gym in town yesterday. While I was frantically attempting to purge the sugar ants from my gym bag, I had inadvertently misplaced my lock. Dam it! I became infuriated. The sugar ants are now beginning to cost me money. I walked to Foodland and to Price Busters, but I could not find a replacement lock at either place. When I returned to the gym, I discovered that there were locks available for sale, but the latter were the keyed variety (for $5). I decided to hold off on any purchase. I left my gym bag in an unlocked locker and performed my usual workout.

After my time at the gym, I drove to Longs in Kuapa Kai. I ended up purchasing a chintzy $5 Master Lock® Model 646 combination lock (made in China). It is a tiny little thing that was designed for luggage, but it will replace the big $8 Model 1500 lock that I lost. What a joke!

I then shopped at Safeway®. As to be expected, I was exposed to myriad rude shoppers, all of them haole. These people really think highly of themselves. They sashay around like celebrities and expect peons like myself to kiss their asses (refer to Chris Hedges' quote above). Even the cashier was rude. After opening and looking into the paper bag that contained a muffin, the bitch just threw it into the plastic shopping bag with the other stuff that I had purchased. The trollop didn't even bother to fold the top closed. I pretty much cussed out anyone who perturbed me. After a shitty Ol' Lavahead Day, I really was not in the mood to take any nonsense from anyone.

A downpour commenced just as I was in the vicinity of Slob Manor (read: rental housing). I parked my Nissan® Frontier truck in the driveway instead of two blocks away on the side street. I was not about to walk back in the pouring rain. Well, as usual, there's nothing left but another urban nomad kind-of-an-evening.

Incidentally, I attempted to eat the Safeway® muffin and enjoy myself. However, the paper muffin cup was severely stuck to the muffin. In addition, several sugar ants made an appearance even before I could take the first bite. I had to eat the muffin over the open paper bag that transported it. The muffin crumbled pathetically. Some of the crumbs ended up on the crappy Slob Manor table. I picked up the crumbs one-by-one and inserted them into my mouth before any of the sugar ants could secure them. However, one crumb made my tongue burn. Apparently, I had plopped a sugar ant in my mouth.

Quite obvious as it may be, I should state that I am at the "end of my rope." I can no longer tolerate the debauched society of empire. By removing myself from the so-called "mainstream," I have made myself much more vulnerable. As a case in point, I do not subscribe to any "mainstream" news or entertainment. I no longer read "mainstream" books or view "mainstream entertainment." All of that shit poisons the mind. Once again, Chris Hedges from the article tiled, "Addicted to Nonsense," on the Truthdig site:

Celebrity worship has banished the real from public discourse. And the adulation of celebrity is pervasive. The frenzy around political messiahs, or the devotion of millions of viewers to Oprah, is all part of the yearning to see ourselves in those we worship. We seek to be like them. We seek to make them like us. If Jesus and “The Purpose Driven Life” won’t make us a celebrity, then Tony Robbins or positive psychologists or reality television will. We are waiting for our cue to walk onstage and be admired and envied, to become known and celebrated. Nothing else in life counts.

There really is no such entity as "harmless" or "mindless" entertainment (i.e., diversions) in a complex and controlled society like the Fascist empire. Everything that is transmitted or communicated has been carefully contrived to produce the desired effect of control. I have become hypersensitive to those effects because I am so far removed from them.

As I have said many times previously, everyone around me believes that he/she is the star of his/her own "reality" show. They are celebrities in their own eyes. Obviously, Chris Hedges independently concurs. I am neither an aspirant or consumer of "reality" shows in media or in imagination. Reality to me is a hot cup of coffee. That's it.

Ol' Lavahead Day 2009

Avast, mateys, this was not just another urban nomad kind-of-a-Sunday ... Hear ye! Hear ye! Ol' Lavahead Day is finally here. And, this is certainly not the kind of day that invokes celebratory imagery. In fact, the only sobering reality is that I will qualify for the Ross® senior citizen discount next Tuesday. I do not find such a milestone to be comforting in the least. Well, on second thought, just another urban nomad kind-of-a-Sunday ...

Just as I was ready to leave at 7:55am this morning, I noticed a huge trail of sugar ants on the floor of my squalid room. I quickly used my humble dustpan and brush to commit mass ant genocide. I happened to notice a few sugar ants crawling on my gym bag, but I did not think much of it.

I enjoyed a cup of ABC Store coffee in the Makai Market at Ala Moana Center. I observed all of the young hotties cavorting around. In sheer contrast, I also observed the myriad decrepit senior citizens hobbling around. An old guy sat at the next table reading a newspaper while drinking ABC Store coffee. About 30 minutes later, he offered the newspaper to me. I gladly accepted. After that kind gesture, I thought for sure that I would have a pleasant Ol' Lavahead Day. How wrong I was!

When I arrived at the gym, I caught a microsecond glimpse of the hottie gym trainer. Baby was looking mighty fine. In the locker room, I discovered that there were hundreds of sugar ants in my gym bag. When I put on my gym clothes, I quickly realized that there dozens of sugar ants all over them. I finally found the source of the problem. There was some kind of food crap stuck to the sole of one of my gym shoes. Mind you, I only wear those shoes in the gym. So, a moron dropped a whole mess of food on the floor and, like an idiot, I stepped on it. Using a paper towel, I cleaned off the shoes. That's when I saw hundreds of sugar ants crawling around inside my gym bag, all over my clean clothes and towel. I did my best to eradicate them.

When I finished my workout, I happened to chat with Frankie, the local guy who has been working as a porter. I have never really chatted with him before. He has always been friendly, though. Today was to be his last day. He is transferring to the new gym in Pearl City. I wished him well.

I rode the bus back to Ala Moana Center. Kabuki-mask-wearing satanic gargoyles were everywhere ... are they the nefarious shape-shifting reptilian extraterrestrials (SSREs)? As part of my plan to mildly celebrate Ol' Lavahead Day, I purchased a banana and a Double-Layer Lilikoi Cake at Foodland. The cake would be the highlight of my silent ceremony. I sat on one of the benches on the ground level overlooking the filthy parking lot near Sears®. The stench of petrol fumes was overwhelming. However, I wished myself well and began to eat the cake. Just as I took my first bite, the homeless woman sitting on the next bench asked me for money. I became quite perturbed. I told her that I only use a credit card since I carry no cash. She kept saying, "Debit card," as if to suggest that I should go and withdraw cash for her. I was just about ready to commit homicide. The ceremonial rites had been compromised, and I was ready to "blow a fuse."

I rode the Route 24 bus to Kahala Mall. I used the time to calm myself down. Surely, I would be able to salvage the day, I thought to myself. Wrong-O! I decided that I would eat dinner at Panda Express® in order to salvage any special meaning for the day. I sat at an empty table that was out of the way. Within two minutes, a noisy family sat at the adjacent table just inches away from me. Bad as that mindless action was, the clowns insisted on infringing upon what little space that I had. I exclaimed, "Fucking losers!" Then, I moved to another table. At that point, the whole day and its meaning had been lost forever. I did my best to enjoy the $7 dinner, though.

I ended up at Barnes & Noble® for the remainder of my outing. Obviously, I was in no mood for nonsense. I did not enjoy one second of the time there. I was ready to go back to the detestable dump, Slob Manor (read: rental housing). So, at 4pm, I was on my way.

Back at Slob Manor, I had an interesting chat with Alan. He told me about Orange Guard, an apparently non-toxic insecticide. He said that he had sprayed the entire kitchen counter with it the other day. There hasn't been any sugar ants crawling around on the counter since then. He also told me that the new Chinaman's young ho' is definitely in possession of keys to the house. The Chinaman was gone for almost three weeks, but he returned last night. I'll have more Slob Manor tidbits later.

In the meantime, I look forward to another urban nomad kind-of-an-evening. I am quite disappointed that Ol' Lavahead Day did not turn out to be the pleasant experience that I had anticipated. Of course, how could I have expected more? Well, at least I sprayed the soles of my gym shoes with toxic bug spray.

As a consolation, I received a card from my homey Rod in LA. I had also sent him a card a few days ago. We share the same date of birth, as you may recall. I was glad to hear from him.

I suppose that everything ... the research on religion and cosmology, the divestiture of worldly possessions, celibacy, the extreme mendicant life-style ... has been in preparation for this moment. Truly, I have no sense about what reality is anymore. The door to reality seemed to have slammed shut when I accepted that atoms are 93 percent open space. Thus, all matter and all lifeforms are virtually non-existent. We only exist in physical reality because of the four fundamental forces. Without the latter forces, everything would literally vanish into thin air. How can we even begin to fathom such a concept? When all is said and done, what exactly is real?

Farce

Another urban nomad kind-of-a-day was devoid of any shape-shifting reptilian extraterrestrials. However, at the library, I discovered that David Icke's book, "Tales from the Time Loop," was gone. Did it slip into another dimension? Fortunately, his other book (i.e., different title) was still there. There was only one chapter at the end dealing with satanic gargoyles ... errr, I mean shape-shifting reptilian extraterrestrials (SSREs). In order to subvert the invasion of the SSREs, Icke recommends that we "love" them. He probably means that we should "love bomb" the SSREs. That's right, you read correctly. I'm not sure that I can discuss his solution much further. I'll just wait until the other book returns.

On a side note, I have continued to research my problems with Ubuntu. From what I can tell, the issue with the video players freezing the entire Gnome® desktop has to do with the Xvideo (xV) framebuffers. Actually, the problem is the X server crashing. A possible solution would be to edit the X.org configuration file and change the size of the video driver's "LinearAlloc" attribute. However, my X.org configuration file is generic since the configuration is now enabled automatically. So far, I've been using the compromised fix, which is to force the "X11" option.

Well, the Saturnalia shopping season is upon us. I am not exactly in the mood to deal with large crowds of fools wherever I go. I am even less amused after the disturbing findings of my recent religious research. Does anyone even understand that December 25th is the birth of the pagan Sun God? Does anyone realize that the whole Saturnalia farce is a concoction of the shape-shifting reptilian extraterrestrials?

Different Day, Same Ol' Shit

I was on my way to Hawai'i Kai in my Nissan® Frontier truck at 7:45am this morning. I brought the remaining Starbucks® coffee from yesterday with me. I found shaded parking at Koko Marina and was soon on my way to town on the bus. My only deviation from the usual urban nomad kind-of-a-day was a visit to the Post Office to pay the rental fee for my mailbox. The rest of the day followed the same nauseating routine. No details are necessary. When I returned to Koko Marina, I shopped at Foodland for groceries. I was able to procure a nice $3 dinner consisting of five pieces of Futomaki Sushi and five pieces of greasy fried chicken. Sadly, I was back at Slob Manor (read: rental housing) by 6pm. All that I have left is another urban nomad kind-of-an-evening. Sheesh!

Here's an interesting quote:

And it is madness because the big decisions are not made by the U.S., by Congress, or by the Obama administration. The U.S. has, for half-a-century, been marching to the tune played by the international financial elite, and this fact did not change with the election of 2008. The financiers have put the people of this nation $57 trillion in debt, according to the latest reports, counting debt at the federal, state, business, and household levels. Interest alone on this debt is over $3 trillion of a GDP of $14 trillion. Failure of our political leadership to deal with this tragedy over the past three decades is nothing less than treason.

Was that from David Icke? No, the quote is from an article titled, "The Economic Crisis And What Must Be Done," by Richard Cook that appeared on the Information Clearinghouse site. Actually, just substitute "Illuminati" for "international financial elite" and it could very well be attributed to Icke.

Speaking of David Icke, I spent quite a bit of time reading more of his book, "Tales from the Time Loop," while I was at the library. Yes, I am now in the sections covering the shape-shifting reptilian extraterrestrials. First, I should mention that Icke's summary of ancient history is quite fascinating. However, he uses the latter as basis for an infiltration of humanity by the shape-shifting reptilian extraterrestrials (SSREs). Their goal? Earth domination, of course. Why? Because they can, I suppose. Without the shape-shifting reptilian extraterrestrials, the same scenario is quite plausible. Human megalomania is quite capable of accomplishing the same nefarious deeds. And, the moneychangers and powers-that-be are definitely up to the task. Icke mentions that "inbreeding" amongst the elite pedigree is required to sustain the shape-shifting reptilian extraterrestrials. However, even without the influence of space aliens, the elite pedigree would do everything to prevent "dilution" of the gene pool. In addition, "inbreeding" can be used to consolidate power and family fortunes.

When I really think about it, the takeover of humans by the evil shape-shifting reptilian extraterrestrials is parallel to the religious conceptualization of demon possession. Instead of spirit creatures gone bad, there are evil reptilian beings (i.e., SSREs) from another galaxy. Does any of it make sense? I really don't know.

Incidentally, the "condotel" unit was $650 below break even last month. The shape-shifting reptilian extraterrestrials are robbing me blind. Why can't they shape-shift themselves into turds, so I can flush them down the commode already?

No-Holiday Holiday 2009

As I briefly mentioned yesterday, I will no longer recognize the holiday that marks the fourth Thursday of November, commonly known as "Thanksgiving Day" or "Turkey Day." My non-recognition of the holiday has some roots in the debased myth that is its source. There have been quite a few articles appearing in various media which lately discussed the issue at length. I need not venture into that realm. Just know that the origin of the holiday disgusts the ol' lavahead.

Although I have deep feelings of gratitude, just whom exactly do I direct such feelings? To God (of Judaism, Christianity, Paulinity, and Islam)? I don't think so. To the real Creator? I am not certain whether the real Creator even hears us. There appears to be no way to channel the real Creator.

I was on my way to Kahala Mall in my Nissan® Frontier truck at 8:15am this morning. Shaded parking was not a problem. I meandered around the near-vacant mall for a few minutes. Only Starbucks® and Whole Foods® were open. Sadly, I was almost run over by a moron in a shitty domestic 4000-pound motorized chair (read: automobile) with illegal tinted windows. I should have "tuned his ass."

I rode the Route 24 bus to Ala Moana Center. The place was nearly deserted as well. I purchased a small cup of coffee at the ABC Store. Then, I sat down on one of the wooden benches to enjoy my coffee. I also brought the remaining Safeway® muffin that I purchased yesterday. A fine breakfast indeed.

I then rode the bus to town, performed my usual workout at the gym, and rode the bus back to Ala Moana Center. There were only sparse packs of people no matter where I was. What a truly enjoyable day! No dickheads. No asswipes (except for the turd that almost ran me over in Kahala Mall).

I ended up at Foodland while I waited for the Route 24 bus back to Kahala Mall. I purchased a banana and a slice of apple pie. I used my "Meal Deal" card to procure a Chicken Caesar Salad at no cost.

Upon arrival at Kahala Mall, I dropped my gym bag off in my Nissan® Frontier truck. Then, I found a table inside the mall and ate my dinner and dessert. Yes, I was actually able to eat a real table like a real human being for once. The meal was excellent. After dinner, I purchased another cup of coffee at Starbucks®. I sat around for an hour before returning to the detestable Slob Manor (read: rental housing). I did not finish the cup of coffee, so I brought it back with me. I put it in the fridge and will drink it tomorrow morning.

The only true benefit of a holiday that I do not recognize is the freedom from mobs of fools. I would not mind being part of society, but its inhabitants are truly grotesque satanic gargoyles. They feel the need to "spread their wings,"even if such actions infringe upon the rights and personal space of others. I can deal with people who are polite and considerate, but they are few and far between. The Fascists who rule the empire have promoted such behavior in order to fool the masses into believing that they have freedom. All the while, the fools are being robbed blind and pushed further into various forms of slavery. Frankly, there's just too much stupidity to combat with reason.

Another urban nomad kind-of-a-day has come to pass. No holiday for the urban nomad. Another urban nomad kind-of-an-evening awaits him. Could we expect anything more? Certainly not. Thank goodness I was able to download the latest House Music Mix from the Deep House Cat site. I have already loaded it into my Palm® TX. What better way to end a non-existent holiday?

Random Vectors Redux

I was on my way to Hawai'i Kai in my Nissan® Frontier truck at 8:15am this morning. Moms and I only made the rounds in Koko Marina. Lunch was courtesy Zippy's. While I'm at it, I should mention that I have absolutely no loyalty to Zippy's. Frankly, I think that the lard-filled food is overpriced, and the Zippy's staff is extremely rude. Sadly, most comatose locals keeps going back to the dump. Later, moms served Foremost® coffee and vanilla ice cream for dessert. I kept moms company until 2pm.

I performed my usual workout at the gym. I didn't realize that I spent almost all of my time there with a long piece of a toilet seat cover/shield hanging behind me from my gym shorts. I must have looked like a true moron. In the end, who really cares?

Later, I stopped off at Foodland. The dump was packed with idiots who were rushing around to purchase whatever they needed for the holiday tomorrow. I bought a banana and detestable Spam® Musubi. I was still full from the lard-filled lunch, so I wanted something light for dinner. Obviously, I settled for more junk food. Why? Well, that's all there is in the supermarkets these days. Real food is hard to come by, and it's damned expensive.

The rain commenced when I exited the gym. By the time I departed Koko Marina, a downpour had ensued. So, I decided to stop off at Safeway® in Kuapa Kai to purchase a couple of muffins. The place was even more packed with clowns who were shopping for the holiday tomorrow. Sheer stupidity was the order of the day, given the rain and the nature of last-minute shopping. I could not get out of there quick enough. Safeway®, by the way, is the preferred venue of the haoles. Although I am not exactly an ethnic minority in Hawai'i, the latter is not the case when I walk into Safeway® in Kuapa Kai. I am treated like a third class citizen by the patrons and the staff.

I returned to Slob Manor (read: rental housing) and parked my Nissan® Frontier truck in the driveway. I had no choice since the rain was coming down hard. A two-block walk would have drenched me. And, my bout with the common cold would most likely be prolonged for another week as a result. As for the evening, can you say, "Same ol' shit"?

In a surprise move, I saved the Advance Time Technologies wind-up clock (made in China) from divestiture. I had prepared it last night for its final journey to the Goodwill drop box. However, I had a change of heart. In fact, I have issued a moratorium on further divestitures except for unneeded or overstocked consumables.

I am making no preparations for the holiday tomorrow. I have not been invited anywhere, which is good. In fact, I no longer even recognize the holiday. I will simply be going through the motions of another urban nomad kind-of-a-day.

Tidbits & Inconsistencies

Another urban nomad kind-of-a-day ... the common cold still hangin on ... same old routine. No details are necessary. Last night, I uninstalled Mono from my Ubuntu installation. I have no answer for why I did so. Frankly, I wish that I could remove more of the bloated crap that is included in the base installation. Sadly, there are a lot of dependencies which cannot be removed without causing major problems. I really anticipate the day when I can switch to Haiku.

Incidentally, I am finally at the point in David Icke's book, "Tales from the Time Loop," where he begins to detail the ancient history in which the shape-shifting reptilian extraterrestrials come into play. So far, I am noting a few inconsistencies. In citing translated ancient Sumerian and Egyptian stone tablets, Icke stated that the extraterrestrials arrived in either a cigar-shaped or a saucer-shaped spacecraft. If that is the case, then I am confused about Icke's own thesis that the reptilians are shape-shifters from another dimension. I am assuming that shape-shifting from one dimension to another precludes any need for conventional means of transport. Heck, what do I know?

From what I have been hearing, the stock market will continue to rally through all of next year. I suppose that's part of the plan. What we are seeing, as discussed partly in the "blog" of yesterday, is an attempt by the empire's Fascist government and central bank to replicate Al Greenspan's legacy. Of course, Ben Bernanke is trying to outdo Greenspan with the endless ZIRP (zero interest rate policy). The stock market surge will reinflate everyone's 401(k) accounts back to the status quo if it reaches about Dow 17,500 or so. The latter will inspire "consumer confidence." The "Cash for Clunkers" and $8,000 first-time homeowners tax credit are the kindling to ignite the mortgage and credit wildfires again. Just like a bad sitcom that keeps coming back, the serial "bubble" economy will be repeating itself. If the fools manage to kick-start the serial "bubbles," then I am ready to take advantage of situation to divest myself of everything and subsequently "get out of Babylon." I would advise everyone to do the same. The next bust cycle will be a "doozy."

I am now completing my fourth day of battling the common cold. My arsenal, the CVS® cold and flu elixir, has been effective in alleviating the symptoms. Why am I suffering six-month relapses of the same crappy common cold? Why does it take a week or two weeks for me to recover?

Synthetic Recovery

As groggy as I was at 8am this morning, I still made my way to Kahala Mall in my Nissan® Frontier truck. The traffic along Kalani'ana'ole Highway was heavy as it usually is all day and night. Naturally, everyone is in a hurry. There's a lot of shitty driving on that stretch of road.

I spent about four hours at the mall, with the first hour or so in the Barnes & Noble® Café. Of course, I only devoted my time to perusing Linux magazines. I walked around the mall for a while, but I was overcome by anxiety for no apparent reason. I suspect that four hours is just way too much time exposure to rampant consumerism for my puny brain to handle.

Moms finally arrived at 12:30pm after another appointment with her physician. Moms and I ate lunch at Panda Express®. Then, moms shopped at Longs®. I showed moms the cheap $1.50 Sentry digital clock (made in China) that I planned to purchase. Moms liked the clock. However, we both settled for the $3.50 model, which is slightly larger. So, now moms and I each have the same cheap clock.

On the way back to Hawai'i Kai, our last stop was Foodland in Koko Marina. Later, moms served Foremost® coffee and vanilla ice cream for dessert. The time was 2:45pm when I finally departed.

I only performed my cardio workout at the gym. The thermostat of the air conditioning system is set even higher than the other day. I was barely exerting myself, yet I was sweating profusely. There were very few people in the gym at the time. I can imagine how hot and stuffy the place would be if a large number of members were working out. The rest of the day was typical urban nomad. No details are necessary. I am still fighting off the common cold. My only weapon is the CVS® cold and flu elixir.

On a side note, I gleaned some interesting economics information and opinion from the Al Martin Raw site. As you may recall, one of my favorite Al Martin stories is "The Homeland Insecurity Field Trip for Seniors" (a real classic still available on Internet Archive Wayback Machine).

Well, another urban nomad kind-of-an-evening, albeit with CVS® cold and flu elixir in hand, is upon us. It only seems like yesterday that I was engaged in another urban nomad kind-of-an-evening. Kind of reminds me of economic boom and bust cycles of empire. Sheesh!

Illin' ... Not Again?

I spent most of the night in discomfort, even after dosing myself with the CVS® cold and flu elixir. At 11pm, I sneezed twice and within seconds my sinuses were completely congested. My head felt bloated, even more so than the normal oversized cranium. The common cold had struck again! My throat was itching all night, and my nasal passages were blocked. I was quite fatigued this morning. Of course that was a good reason to end up sipping coffee in the Makai Market at Ala Moana Center.

Yes, another urban nomad kind-of-a-Sunday was marred by the common cold. Fortunately, I was able to catch a ten-second glimpse of hottie gym trainer. Baby was looking hot. I am not even sure how I endured my workout at the gym, given the annoying symptoms of the common cold. I was quite hungry, though. I acquired a banana and a muffin at Foodland in Ala Moana. Then, I purchased two bean burritos with green sauce, no red sauce, at Taco Bell® in Kahala Mall.

For some reason, my sinuses went haywire after I walked into Barnes & Noble®. My nose would not stop running. It was already bad enough that people were looking upon me as though I was a homeless guy. I was also becoming groggier by the minute. I finally departed for Slob Manor (read: rental housing) at 4pm. Hard as it may be to believe, I was still hungry. So, I made panini for dinner. Naturally, the common cold symptoms continued unabated throughout the urban nomad kind-of-an-evening.

I searched through the "blog" and discovered that I have had a bad bout of the common cold every six months since moving to Slob Manor. Prior to my tenure at Slob Manor, I rarely was illin'. What does that tell you?

Godot's Elixir

“It is not taught in Israeli schools, but most of the early Zionist leaders, including David Ben Gurion [Israel's first prime minister], believed that the Palestinians were the descendants of the area’s original Jews. They believed the Jews had later converted to Islam.” -- Shlomo Sand

I neglected to mention that I have not slept well for several days. My throat begins itching somewhere around 3am every morning. Very annoying. I suspect that the recent intermittent rain has caused the confused foliage to pollinate, and the recurring gale force winds end up blowing the pollen everywhere. This morning, I had the makings of a mild sore throat. I wasn't feeling all that well either. I knew that the situation would worsen later ... just another urban nomad kind-of-a-day.

When I arrived at Ala Moana Center at 8am this morning, I immediately headed straight to Longs®. I purchased a $5 bottle of CVS® cold and flu elixir. Hopefully, that will prevent another dreaded bout with the common cold. Sadly, even the ABC Store coffee tasted bland to me.

At the library, I continued to peruse David Icke's book, "Tales from the Time Loop." When I reached the chapter about Israel, I did a "double take." I slowed down my reading. Much to my amazement, the entire chapter could have easily been a summary of Shlomo Sand's current book, "The Invention of the Jewish People." What both Icke and Sand have asserted is that most of the so-called "Jews" today are descendants of the (Southern Russia) Khazars. They are European in origin and are often called the Ashkanazi. Sand goes even further to postulate that the Palestinians are most likely the true descendants of the early Israelites. Remember that the Israelites were Semites as are the Palestinians. The Ashkanazi are not Semitic. What am I bringing this up? Well, apparently, David Icke is not simply some run-of-the-mill conspiracy crackpot. Most of his material is well researched and documented. Unfortunately, I think that Icke is going to lose me when I reach the part about the shape-shifting reptilian extraterrestrials.

At about 1pm, Ralph (a dean at HCC) happened to stroll through the library. We ended up chatting for about 30 minutes. He mentioned that Professor Lisa is planning to enter dental school. Somehow I just cannot imagine Professor Lisa drilling people's teeth. Although, I will mention that Professor Lisa is much easier on the eyes than any dentist that I know of. Ralph also mentioned that there may be a low-level physics teaching position opening up. I asked him to keep me in mind. Perhaps, in view of my current financial crisis, I need to reconsider encumbering myself to wage slavery for a few more years.

The rest of the day was classic urban nomad. Nothing out of the ordinary transpired. I only looked forward to my return to Slob Manor (read: rental housing) in order to dose myself with the CVS® cold and flu elixir. So far, my throat is still itching. I'm due for the next dose of the elixir as another urban nomad kind-of-an-evening comes to a close. Can it get any better than that?

Alternative Reality

I was on my way to Hawai'i Kai in my Nissan® Frontier truck at 7:45am this morning. I stopped off in Kuapa Kai to browse the selection of extremely cheap clocks at Longs® (to replace the intermittent Advance Time Technologies wind-up clock). I found one for $1.49 plus tax that is as tiny as a watch. I have not purchased it yet. I then procured a cup of Seattle's Best® Colombian coffee at Safeway®.

Later, moms and I ended up at Foodland in Koko Marina. For lunch, moms and I ate Saba Bento, half of a lamp-baked chicken, fresh vegetables, and rice. Moms served pumpkin pie for dessert. My nephew was home for "Furlough Friday." I gave him a ride to his friend's place after lunch. Then, I kept moms company until 1:30pm. The rest of the day was typical urban nomad. Obviously, nothing out of the ordinary transpired.

A few minutes after I returned to Slob Manor (read: rental housing), I heard a loud commotion downstairs. I heard the front door slam. I looked out the window and observed the landlord discarding the Indian guy's rotting concoction, including the pot, into the trash can. I giggled my ass off. That was one of the better landlord moments.

These are strange days, aren't they? By strange, I do not mean that there have been a proliferation of David Icke's shape-shifting reptilian extraterrestrials around. I simply mean that life has attained an ethereal ambiance about it. I am not certain about how to define reality. Therefore, I have compartmentalized my existence to only include events and substances that I can verify as real. For example, my Advance Time Technologies wind-up clock may have slipped into an alternative reality for 40 minutes yesterday. Therefore, I will have to divest it.

Incidentally, I had not checked the message boards in a few weeks. When I attempted to view the current forums, I discovered that nothing was there. Whoa! Apparently, ForumCo has finally gotten around to fulfilling the two termination requests that I had submitted many moons ago. Better late than never, I suppose. Or, the delay may have been part of an alternative reality. I'm not going to bother to set up another account. The "blog" itself is a lesson in antiquity, soon to be eternally lost in obscurity or an alternative reality.

Mind Food

The Advance Time Technologies wind-up clock (made in China) was 40 minutes behind, so I almost missed the bus. Fortunately, I noticed one of the Slob Manor (read: rental housing) residents driving off to work. He usually leaves at 8:40am. I checked the time on my Palm® TX. The time was 8:50am. Yikes! I quickly packed my gym bag and trudged to the bus stop. All the while I kept thinking that the days of the Advance Time Technologies wind-up clock are numbered ... just another urban nomad kind-of-a-day.

The main restrooms at Ala Moana Center are packed from early on. I have no idea why there are so many people in there who desperately need to take a dump. I had the choice of one open stall. The clown who was in there prior had urinated all over the seat. I had to clean the mess up with asswipe paper (i.e., toilet tissue). There are no toilet seat covers/shields available for the general public. So, as usual, I had to fashion a makeshift one with asswipe paper.

I had seen a well-dressed haole guy in his fifties at one of the sinks when I first entered the restroom. There was a shopping cart with a couple of backpacks and assorted luggage parked next to him. I did not equate one with the other until I was exiting. The haole guy was still there. He was shaving. In fact, most of the people in the restroom are either homeless or senior citizens or both.

The rest of the day was classic urban nomad. No details are necessary since we all know the drill already. As for the evening, we also know that drill, too. Say, what's that obnoxious smell in the Slob Manor kitchen?

"He's a nice guy, but he's filthy," the landlord had told me yesterday in referencing the Indian guy. Yeah, the pot with the Indian guy's rotting concoction is still sitting in the kitchen. And, the broken handheld shower head is still sitting in the bathtub in the second floor bathroom. Either the Indian guy has not taken a shower for two weeks, or he is showering somewhere else. Filthy is an understatement.

Have you perused some of David Icke's stuff? I say "stuff" for lack of a better descriptor. I am now perusing two of his books at the library. I found some of the information to be fascinating. The shape-shifting reptilian extraterrestrials, however, are outside my boundary of credibility at this point in time. I am not "reality shopping." Sadly, some of my own thoughts in the "blog" and the old journal have often paralleled Icke's theses. I could exclude the reptilians, but diatribes about Satan, satanic gargoyles, the sinister force, the sinister kahuna, Beelzebub et al. is pretty much the same.

I will say that Icke is absolutely correct in identifying that most of us are prisoners of the "system." And, he is absolutely correct by asserting that the prisoners keep each other in check. Conformity and group think are the most powerful self-debasing weapons in the prisoners' arsenal. Come to think of it, all human-made institutions (i.e., government, religion, commerce) are designed to keep the prisoners in check. In some respects, Icke is promoting the same kind of freedom that I have been seeking in the form of the exodus. Now, that's some food for thought.

No Stone Unturned

Should I delineate upon another urban nomad kind-of-a-day? Let's not bother, shall we? The only deviation from the standard routine was my brief jaunt to the Institute of Hair Design to restore my monk haircut. The hairstylist did an excellent job, by the way. I even had my eyebrows trimmed. As a senior citizen, I am keenly aware that eyebrows and nose hair grow uncontrollably until an unruly mess results. Take a good look at most senior citizens. Their eyebrows are bushy like a lawn hedge and their nose hair protrudes out of their nostrils like retro-rocket flames. Oh, the horror!

When I returned to Slob Manor (read: rental housing), I observed the landlord walking around the driveway. I tried to avoid the landlord, but I was not successful. The topic of our discussion? The Indian guy's rotting concoction that has been sitting in a pot on the counter in the kitchen for about two weeks now. The landlord was quite irate. However, an astute observer may be wondering why the landlord does not simply confront the guilty party himself. I have asked that question repeatedly subsequent to the discussion.

As I venture into the unknown realm of another urban nomad kind-of-an-evening, I become fearful of what's ahead. Really? No, not really. It's always the same ol' shit. I'll be doing a little research about David Icke for no apparent reason. Well, actually, I was quite entertained by one his books at the library. Yes, I am talking about the David Ickes, the guy who has revealed the true nature of the "Illuminati," the reptilian extraterrestrials who have created the bloodline which rules the world. Mind you, in my quest for the truth, I can leave no stone unturned. I'll leave it at that.

Caffeinated Coma

Another urban nomad kind-of-a-day ... obviously nothing to write home about. I am spending too much time sipping on ABC Store Kona-blend coffee in the Makai Market at Ala Moana Center. Really? No, not really. I'm there for about an hour, but I must admit that the time spent is the most enjoyable part of the day. I sit at a table all by myself. Then, I take my time sipping the coffee. I look around at the same drab kiosks that are in the vicinity. I observe the myriad senior citizens for a hint of my immediate future. Once in a while, a few young hotties stroll through the area. Sometimes a homeless person or two would wander in and out of the place.

When I was younger (and more foolish), I never considered going anywhere alone or loitering somewhere by myself. Now, it's a way of life. At the Makai Market, I see people of all ages who arrive by themselves and sit at a table to wait for friends or family to arrive. They seem very uncomfortable. They look around robotically, perhaps feeling that someone has noticed that they are alone. After all, loners are losers. The library is a better place for loners and losers. There are so many of the homeless hanging out there that no one would even notice a loner sitting by himself. As far as I am concerned, invisibility has a marked advantage.

I can definitely confirm that caffeine has a somewhat positive effect on my gym workouts. I have noticed that the caffeine provides a burst of energy, and it seems to alleviate any pain. I am able to perform my weight workout effortlessly. Even the cardio portion goes smoothly.

Back at Slob Manor (read: rental housing), Alan (one of the guys who lives on the first floor) showed me a big pot stuck in the corner of the kitchen. He lifted the lid. The noxious odor almost required hospitalization for both of us. Apparently, the landlord had found the pot and left a note demanding that it be removed immediately. That was two days ago. The pot, of course, contained another of the Indian guy's famous concoctions. At least, I now know where the smell of rotting food was coming from. I told Alan that the pot of rotting food would probably still be there a month from now. Alan shook his head in disbelief.

Yesterday, I discussed my current fixation with Linux. However, I have also detailed some of the more frustrating experiences with Ubuntu in the "blog." I am finding that problems exist with all Linux "distros" (i.e., distributions). So, I have placed some hope in a new operating system called Haiku. It is based on the now-defunct BeOS. Haiku, however, is still in "Alpha." A final release candidate may not be available for a couple of years. For the time being, Linux will have to suffice.

Oversized Cranium Overload

I was on my way to Kahala Mall at 8:15am this morning in my Nissan® Frontier truck. I spent about an hour in the Barnes & Noble® Café before meeting up with moms at the front entrance of the mall. Moms had rode the bus to town for an early appointment with her physician. Moms shopped at Longs®. Then, we ate lunch at Panda Express®. Finally, we stopped off at Foodland in Koko Marina. Later, moms served Foremost® coffee ice cream for dessert.

The rest of the day was classic urban nomad. I have observed that the air-conditioning at the gym in Hawai'i Kai has been set at a higher temperature. In performing my cardio workout, I have had to lower the resistance on the cardio machines in order to avoid profuse perspiration. That does indeed sound ridiculous. However, I have rarely seen anyone working out and producing puddles of sweat on the floor. I assume that such behavior is classified as troglodyte-like and is discouraged by the management.

On this day, I consumed a variety of dishes that contained beef and chicken. I also consumed a couple of dairy products. Hardly worth a mention, except that I happened to peruse Jeff Masson's book, "The Face on Your Plate: The Truth About Food," at Barnes & Noble® yesterday. Now, I have an even more adverse viewpoint about the food that we eat.

Well, all I can say is that the oversized cranium is overloaded. Most of my thinking and cognitive processes have shut down. In fact, I have been spending all of my time reading Linux-related material. The only quandary that confronts me now is the decision to enable more Compiz-Fusion options or not. Baha! Ha! Ha! Haaa!

Quasi-Catatonia

"In fact, an astute reader will notice that in our experiment, the most distinguishing term in the Internet category was 'loser' (no offense intended). The reason for this is that our training set contained LoserNet, a long story, chronicling 'America's Favorite Loser,' and containing the term 'loser' 1532 times. " -- from "Web Search Using Automatic Classification" by Chandra Chekuri & Michael H. Goldwasser, Computer Science Department, Stanford University and Prabhakar Raghavan & Eli Upfal, IBM Almaden Research Center (1997)

Another urban nomad kind-of-a-Sunday was put into check by mundanity. No details are necessary. I will, however, make note of the fact that the hottie gym trainer was espied at the gym for a microsecond. Baby was working with a gym member and was looking mighty fine.

I was in a state of quasi-catatonia all day, so there was really not much much around me that I observed. My daily routine is so benign that I can run through the whole agenda without even thinking twice. And, that's what I did. Soon enough, I was back in the foul-smelling Slob Manor (read: rental housing) and already engaged in an urban nomad kind-of-an-evening. That's how quick life can pass before your eyes. Sheesh!

Day in the Wastelands

Another urban nomad kind-of-a-day was marred by a sudden downpour. I was at Ala Moana Center at the time, standing at the bus stop with the myriad cigarette chain-smokers who comprise the bus ridership demographic. Yes, they all have cell phones and cigarettes. I estimate that just between the two vices, the monthly cost is about $210 or so. The poor are apparently not that poor.

I purchased a cup of coffee at the ABC Store. As you may recall, I have never been keen about the place. However, the minute that I walked in, the young hottie working at the cash register said, "Aloha! Good morning!" When I paid for the coffee, she was bright and cheerful, although she annoyed me slightly by checking my identification when I used my credit card. Nonetheless, a cold day in hell will ensue before the employees at Foodland match that kind of service.

I was sopping wet when I entered the library. The rain cleared up within 30 minutes. However, in Hawai'i, one can never be certain about the rain. So, I took the opportunity to walk to the gym at 11am. I performed my workout much earlier than usual. When I exited the gym at 1pm, the sky was gray but there was no sign of rain. As I said, once can never be certain about the rain.

While waiting at the bus stop, I observed a huge crowd gathering at the Chinatown Gateway Park across the street. I recognized many of the faces. Within minutes, several vans arrived. Boxes of food were unloaded. I then realized that a free lunch is made available to the poor and homeless at 1:30pm. Could this be the source for my future lunches?

I rode the bus to Kahala Mall. I meandered around looking for someplace to obtain cheap food. Nada. Cheap food prices have been "normalized" at $5 at a minimum. That's way above my budget. I resisted the temptation to waste money. At Barnes & Noble®, I was surprised to see the hottie bookseller from the Ala Moana store. Baby was obviously on duty. Did she transfer?

At 3:45pm, I observed that the sky was becoming much darker. So, I rode the next bus back to Slob Manor (read: rental housing). I was not about to get caught in another downpour. The rest of the day and evening ... heck, we all know the drill.

Sinister Kahuna Day 2009

"The answer is that the United States is an immoral country, with an immoral people and an immoral government. Americans no longer have a moral conscience. They have gone over to the Dark Side." -- Paul Craig Roberts

Another visit to Hawai'i Kai was cut short because my sister-in-law had taken the day off for a doctor's appointment. I was able to visit moms after 10am subsequent to procuring a cup of Seattle's Best® coffee at Safeway®. I also spent time at the Hawai'i Kai Towne Center and Koko Marina. Moms and I ate lunch at Zippy's in Koko Marina again. Then, moms shopped for groceries at Foodland. Later, moms served Foremost® vanilla ice cream for dessert. I kept moms company until 1:30pm when my sister-in-law returned.

I was not able to find shaded parking at Koko Marina, so I spent about an hour at Koko Head Park. At 2:30pm, I drove back to Koko Marina, found shaded parking, performed my usual workout at the gym ... you know the drill. Dinner was courtesy Taco Bell® (one bean burrito with green sauce, no red sauce).

When I set foot in Slob Manor (read: rental housing), I immediately noticed a pungent odor. The smell was distinctly that of rotting flesh. Somewhere in the dump, there is garbage lying around that is rotting and stinking up the place. I could not locate it since it has permeated both floors of Slob Manor. By 7pm, the odor was unbearable. Even with the door of my squalid room being closed, there was no way to block the odor's penetration power.

Incidentally, the handheld shower head in the second floor bathroom is lying at the bottom of the bathtub, its umbilical cord severed from the pipe it was once attached to. The shower head has been lying there for several days. I have no idea how the Indian guy is taking a shower. I suspect that he's not.

The power of Sinister Kahuna Day lies in realm of the evil spirit of Satan. Most of the world's population attribute the presence of evil and the doing of evil to Satan, the Devil, El Diablo, the sinister force, Samhain, Beelzebub, and so forth. However, in my own debunking of "bad religion," I discovered the origins of the Dark Side. Evil is purely in the hearts of all humans who choose to exercise its power over morality. The elusive Creator has given us free will in exchange for mortality. We can do as we please, but there will be no redemption. There will be no punishment except our own end. Our memories, the substance of our being, will be erased forever. Whether we exercised good or evil will not matter. I state the aforementioned with a heavy heart. Though, sadly, that is the truth of the universe.

Perhaps if we spent less time attributing our evil acts to our enslavement by Satan, then we would be more prone to act responsibly and morally. If we truly followed our moral compass rather than "book" religion, we would have aspired to fulfill our real purpose. Instead, we continue to debase ourselves and blame it on Satan. We pray to God (of Judaism, Christianity, Paulinity, and Islam) for forgiveness of our "sins," yet we continue to ply for absolution while in the Devil's grip. We are morally responsible for ourselves. The fictitious Beelzebub is not involved. On this Sinister Kahuna Day, let us remind ourselves of our moral agency and the need to meet its obligations.

Ghost of Aloha

Another urban nomad kind-of-a-day left me with absolutely nothing to discuss in the "blog." Ain't that something? There hasn't been a single legitmate reader of the "blog" in days anyway. So, the point is moot.

I had to purchase my coffee at the ABC Store in Ala Moana Center this morning. All the carafes of coffee in Foodland. I have learned to never ask any Foodland employee for assistance. I will only receive a rude or condescending response. The coffee at the ABC Store was about the same quality, same taste, and same price. Why bother with Foodland?

Well, that brings me to the topic of the Aloha Spirit, or should I say the Aloha Ghost. The Aloha Spirit really does not exist in Hawai'i anymore. It's the stuff of legends. Seriously, it has become a ghostly apparition. The people in Hawai'i, including kama'aina, are now too self-absorbed to express aloha, much like their mainland counterparts. Actually, the mainland life-style was long ago imported here by the haoles and by the tube. There's no "Hawai'ian Time" anymore. Everyone is always in a real hurry, so rudeness is at a peak. With each passing day, the situation worsens. Can you imagine several hundred thousand people cloistered on a tiny island with all of them in a rush to get nowhere? Ludicrous is an understatement.

At the library, I completed reading Murat Kurnaz's book, "Five Years of My Life." Definitely a worthy book to read. I am really at loss to say much about the book. For me, I gleaned several points worthy of introspection. I wondered how I would fare under five years of brutal torture. Could I survive under such an ordeal? How does one even begin to make sense of it all?

The rest of the day was a robotic blend of comatose vibes. Are details necessary? Hell no. The highlight of another urban nomad kind-of-an-evening was the download of a new Deep House Cat mix. Sheesh!

On the Road with Godot

My Nissan® Frontier truck and I were on the road at 8am this morning. Our destination? Kahala Mall, of course. I spent about three hours there, sipping coffee in the Barnes & Noble® Café and perusing Linux Format magazine, a definite favorite of mine.

I rode the bus to town via Waikiki and Ala Moana Center. After performing my usual workout at the gym, I returned to Ala Moana Center and purchased a Meatloaf Bento (obviously the term "bento" should be used loosely with respect to meatloaf) at Foodland. Then, I rode the Route 24 bus back to Kahala Mall.

The mall was completely packed. I wanted to find a nice place to sit down and eat my early dinner. Denied again! Sadly, I had to sit on the same concrete bench in the near-desolate office building complex adjacent to the mall. Fortunately, there was no wind. So, I was able to eat my paltry meal without all the crap flying around.

I forced myself to walk around the mall and peruse several nameless retail stores. My mind became quite disoriented. All I could see were useless, albeit expensive, shiny objects (made in China). The oversized cranium began to calculate the amount of useless crap that could be purchased with the money that is being used to subsidize the mortgage of the detestable "condotel" unit. I certainly could purchase a lot of useless crap for $600 each month. Instead, I have nothing except an "upside-down" mortgage¹ that is bankrupting me. I felt a great rage welling up, that is, until I realized that I would never spend that kind of money each month on useless crap anyway.

At 5pm, I had my fill of the mall, the myriad shopping fools, and all of the expensive shiny objects. I reluctantly decided to drive back to Slob Manor (read: rental housing). Oh, the horror! Not another urban nomad kind-of-an-evening? Damn it! Damn it! Damn it all!

"I've got to get out," is the phrase that intrusively comes out of my mouth throughout the day. I have no control over its trigger. For some reason, I just cannot silently think out the phrase. It must be recited aloud so I can hear it. Get out of what? Well, that's obvious. I need to exit the "system." My subconscious mind apparently senses that I am not consciously doing more to achieve that goal.

My appetite has recently become suppressed, much to my chagrin. Even if I am hungry, I have no apparent desire to eat anything. Essentially, I must force feed myself. Nothing seems to taste good. Heck, most of the food we eat is poisoned anyway. Perhaps my subconscious mind is at play again. Who knows?

On a side note, I finally found confirmation that Ubuntu Linux v8.04 LTS will be supported until March 2011 at the latest. Therefore, I will not be upgrading the operating system of my Toshiba® Satellite notebook computer even though the new v10.04 LTS is scheduled to be released in six months. I have no desire to spend the time to tweak it to my tastes. I have already gone through the trouble with the current version. Aside from the inoperative headphone jack and the occasional media player freeze, I am satisfied.

¹"Upside-down" mortgage occurs when the mortgage is significantly more than the current worth of the property.

Godot Has Left the Building

Can you believe that another urban nomad kind-of-a-day has come to pass? I can hardly believe it myself. Absolutely nothing out of the ordinary transpired, so no details are necessary.

Well, the expenses for the month are building up. I had to pay for another six months of Geico® automobile insurance. I also added a token amount of minutes to my T-Mobile® "pay 'n go" account. So, that's $10 for another year of cell phone service. Mind you, I have not powered up the cheesy Nokia® cell phone in well over a year. And, I also have to renew my box rental at the Post Office. My expenses are bleeding me dry, my friends, but I have no other options.

I am not certain about the direction of the "blog" from this point forward. The "blog" is my conversation surrogate. In place of real conversations with people, I put my thoughts into words in the "blog." However, I am running out of material. I have debunked "bad religion." I have essentially thrown in the towel concerning current affairs because of powerlessness of my own self. I have removed myself from worldly entertainment and anything that may influence my thinking and behavior. What exactly is left to discuss?

Is That You, Godot?

Another visit to Hawai'i Kai found moms and I making the rounds at the usual places. Lunch was courtesy Zippy's. Later, moms served pumpkin pie and Foremost® vanilla ice cream for dessert. I kept moms company until 1:45pm. The rest of the day consisted of the usual urban nomad stuff.

For dinner, I decided against the usual fare at Taco Bell®. Instead, I purchased a box of Nabisco® Thin Crisps Triscuits Quattro Formaggio at Foodland in Koko Marina. One of my better (and seemingly healthy) light dinner ideas, I might add.

I neglected to mention that the petrol gauge in my Nissan® Frontier truck has been malfunctioning. Actually, it frequently gets stuck at the quarter-of-a-tank mark. For the past four years, I have only been filling the tank up to that point, so the float must be sticking due to sludge buildup. Thus, I put $22 of petrol in the tank. The float should be much higher now, and the petrol may be able to dissolve the sludge buildup. I will find out soon enough.

Last night, I downloaded and installed Bleachbit, another system cleaning utility for Linux. I already have another useful utility, Ubuntu Tweak, installed. Although every option in both utilities can be accomplished through the command line, the GUI alternative is much easier on the oversized cranium.

I also received e-mail from Mr. Ray. I haven't heard from him in a long time. He described an interesting anecdote concerning his almost-defunct netbook computer. He brought it back to life with xPUD. In any case, I was glad to hear from him.

Well, another urban nomad kind-of-an-evening awaits me. What kind of excitement am I looking forward to? Will I be anticipating an "epiphany"? Will Godot finally arrive? Can you say, "Same ol' shit"?

Still Waiting Endlessly for Godot

Another urban nomad kind-of-a-Sunday was only made palatable by a microsecond glimpse of the hottie gym trainer when I arrived at the gym this morning. Aside from that, the day was blasé.

Sitting in the Makai Market and sipping coffee at Ala Moana Center in the morning is becoming a nauseating, albeit benign, activity at best. The sight of so many obese people stuffing their faces with crap food is becoming unbearable. I am beginning to realize that hotties like the hottie gym trainer are rare (especially hotties in her late-30s age group). Little wonder why they are so unattainable. The "hook up" game is nothing that I concern myself about anymore, so the point is moot. Most guys are also extremely dumpy. The size of the pot bellies that I have observed lately is truly sickening. I now see why people were always saying to me, "You're getting skinny." Yes, I have lost some weight, but the real truth is that everyone else is getting fatter.

I opted to purchase an early dinner (i.e., three bean burritos with green sauce, no red sauce) from Taco Bell® in Kahala Mall this afternoon. I sat outside on a concrete bench in the deserted office building complex adjacent to the mall. The wind was blowing the paper wrappers and the "Fire" hot sauce packets around. The experience was miserable. I chose to live a sub-standard (read: Third World) life-style to fit my mendicant ways. Sadly, there is no pleasure in such a life-style. The First World environment impinges as much discomfort as possible on the "have-nots." The losers are always punished for being losers.

I am even more nauseated by the fact that the ridiculous healthcare "reform" package has been passed. The lousy package was even supported by the AARP®. I am really regretting that I paid for a three-year membership with the organization. Once the "reform" is law, I will be one of the millions of losers who will be mandated to pay a high premium for health insurance (or face a steep fine). Frankly, I don't want to pay for healthcare insurance. I do not want to deal with the substandard healthcare practices that I have both seen and experienced. I would rather spend the money on preventative measures like my gym membership and better quality food. In the meantime, Obama has decided to send 34,000 more "cannon fodder" to Afghanistan. Where is the outrage? What happened to the single payer health plan? Where are the antiwar schmucks? The citizens of empire are apparently fat and sedated.

Well, I have been waiting for an "epiphany," but none has been forthcoming. I suppose that I will be waiting a long time, just like the Jews who are waiting for the New Jerusalem to descend from the "heavens" or the Christians who are waiting for the return of Jesus. Now that I think about it, we'll be waiting a long, long, long time.

Rich Man, Poor Monk

Yes, another urban nomad kind-of-a-day has "flew the coop." Nothing out of the ordinary transpired, except that 2.5 hours of elapsed from the time I departed the gym to when I arrived back at Slob Manor (read: rental housing). Another nauseating bus ordeal? You bet! No details are necessary.

My time at Ala Moana Center, specifically the Makai Market, has called to my attention the hideous nature of the obesity monster, that is, the gluttonous aspect of eating as a recreation and sport. I have witnessed countless fat slobs stuffing high-caloric foods in vast quantities into their wide-open mouths and washing down the residue with super-sized soft drinks. It was a sight to behold, a spectacle of undue proportion. I was left both nauseated and bewildered.

At the library, I commenced reading Murat Kurnaz's book, "Five Years of My Life: An Innocent Man in Guantanamo." I am actually halfway though it now. In some respects, the account reminds me of the first half of Viktor Frankl's book, "Man's Search for Meaning" (one of my all-time favorites). I will warn any would-be readers that the book is not light-hearted reading. In fact, I came away quite bothered. Kurnaz's book is truly a testimonial to what is wrong with the empire and "American" society.

Incidentally, I should delineate a little about my disappointment with Linux. Frankly, I believe that Linux is a very good operating system. The reason that it seems to not be suitable as a true replacement for the commercial desktop is the ongoing problem of hardware compatibility and software drivers. Linux cannot be blamed for those problems, since the issue involves proprietary hardware and closed source drivers. Notebook computers are notorious for such problems because of the myriad hardware kludges inherent in their design. The fact that open source Linux achieves 90 percent or more functionality under those conditions is nothing short of miraculous.

My Palm® TX is now officially obsolete. It is no longer being produced and will not be replaced by another model. If I need to replace it in the future, my only option would be an Apple® iPod Touch. The trick, of course, is to tell myself that I don't need to replace an essentially useless gadget with another useless one. I need to nip rampant consumerism in the bud, so to speak. My Palm® TX is running fine and could last another three years or so. It is, however, ancient technology. Most people would be too embarrassed to be seen in public with something so crude. Even the poorest people riding the bus have iPods and so-called "smartphones." I have learned that "smartphones" run about $100 to $150 in service charges a month. Wow! Everyone is Big Money Grip except for the ol' lavahead.

X Blues

Another visit to Hawai'i Kai eventually found moms and I meandering around Koko Marina. Lunch was courtesy Yummy's. Later, moms served Foremost® coffee ice cream for dessert. I kept moms company until 1:15pm. The rest of the day was standard urban nomad, to be followed by another urban nomad kind-of-an-evening.

The alleged "fix" for the freezing problem on Ubuntu was not workable. Selecting different video output options caused some functionality of the video players to be reduced, or completely incapacitated them. For example, I could no longer force a different aspect ratio on a video in play. I have finally confirmed that the symptoms of the freeze are typical of an X.org server crash. I can only assume that a manual upgrade of X.org to the latest version is the only solution. And, believe me, that's not an easy task.

Discomfort Zone Revisited

Another urban nomad kind-of-a-day ... what is there to write about? Absolutely nothing, my friends. Absolutely nothing. I spent most of the day in rumination, although the itinerary was the same ol' shit. No matter where I was, my mind was busy ruminating about anything. Yet, what is the outcome? Absolutely nothing, my friends. Absolutely nothing.

I've mentioned before that my social life is now non-existent. I rarely have conversations with anyone. Even casual small talk is rare. Most people would probably have gone insane by now. In the course of my day, I witness quite a few people who are talking to themselves or their imaginary friends. Loneliness, I believe, can really take a toll on the psyche. However, for some strange reason, I have developed an immunity. I don't miss socializing or conversing with people at all. When I try to imagine myself in a social context, I begin to feel extreme anxiety and the impulse to flee.

The old journal and the "blog" served as a surrogate conversation of sorts, although I am really not chatting with anyone in particular. Frankly, there are hints within the "blog" that I have grown weary of its conversation as well. Anyone reading the "blog" must be terribly bored because I am so disconnected from the "mainstream" life-style. Since I no longer do any "reality shopping," I have essentially lost all interest in the corrupt politics of the empire, the foolish religiosity of its people, and the institutions of various forms of enslavement. That leaves me with virtually nothing of interest remaining except, maybe, the modern techniques of nose hair removal.

Tidbits & Ruminations

Another redundant urban nomad kind-of-a-day leaves me no choice but to discuss useless tidbits. I had plenty of time to ruminate about nothing while I sipped coffee in the Makai Market in Ala Moana Center this morning. For one thing, I noticed the sheer number of fat slobs running amuck in the mall. There are also a lot of senior citizens, most of them in some late stage of chronic debilitation (due to obesity).

At the library, I completed the reading of Taibbi's book, "The Great Derangement." My conclusion? Taibbi is peddling his own version of reality. Since I am no longer "reality shopping," I just could not buy into his program. The book was a good diversion, but I will leave it at that.

I am not certain, but I think that my days at the library are numbered. What really is there for me to read anymore? What else do I need to learn? I am certainly not at the pinnacle of knowledge, mind you, but I do not know why I would need to further expand such knowledge. Could it be that I know enough to survive the remainder of my days?

With so little time left, I must set my priorities. The keywords here are "reality" and "relevance." I no longer have the luxury to dabble in fantasy and irrelevance (which pretty much make up the bulk of the outside world). As I have previously stated, I no longer engage in "reality shopping." The truth, for me, is only what is within reach. Anything else is far too obtuse for my puny mind to comprehend.

Incidentally, I checked to see how many "condotel" units at the Aloha Surf were up for sale (or "short sale" if in foreclosure) on the HiCentral site. To my surprise, there were only two units that I would classify as desperation sales. One owner was selling a unit for 35 percent below the original purchase price. In effect, that amounted to a $64,000 loss. I am not willing to assume such a loss. So, I will hang on while my meager savings are routed.

Last night, I set up my "personal cloud" on the Ubuntu One site. A "personal cloud" is just a new buzzword referring to on-line storage. I got 2 Gbytes of space for free for my files. Wheee!

Rain & Tidbits

I was caught in a heavy downpour while waiting at the bus stop this morning. To make matters worse, the Route 1L bus did not arrive on time. I'm not sure if it arrived at all. So, I ended up on the Route 23 bus. There's nothing like being sopping wet and sitting in an overly air-conditioned bus. At least the decision to engage in coffee time at the Makai Market in Ala Moana Center was made for me.

The rest of the day was classic urban nomad. No detail are necessary. Soon enough, I found myself back at Slob Manor (read: rental housing) to await an urban nomad kind-of-an-evening. Say it ain't so!

The freezing problem in Ubuntu Linux may finally be solved. The guy who posted the original thread in the Ubuntu Forums seems to have discovered another thread that provided the solution. The problem is allegedly the xV option for video output preferences. The fix is to change the option to X11 (X.org) or OpenGL. I have chosen to use the X11 option in the first trial for both Mplayer and Gstreamer. Let's see what happens next.

Clown Cleats

Yet another Monday jaunt to Hawai'i Kai found moms and I making the usual rounds in the area with lunch courtesy Panda Express®. The highlight of the day was when I discovered that there was hot water at the gym. I was able to enjoy an undeserved hot shower. Then, I ate dinner (i.e., one bean burrito with green sauce, no red sauce) at Taco Bell®.

The heatwave finally ended with the return of the trade winds. In addition, there have been light showers all day long. Thus, Slob Manor (read: rental housing) was not like a blast furnace when I finally returned to the dump late in the afternoon. As for the evening, can you say, "Another urban nomad kind-of-an-evening"? Sheesh!

Well, I finally replicated the blue screen freeze on Ubuntu while using the command line. I have run both mplayer (non-GUI) and gmplayer (GUI) commands in the terminal with logging enabled. As you may recall, I am specifically using Mplayer because it has the capability to write a log file. I compared the two relevant log files, one when Mplayer played the test video and one when Mplayer and the desktop froze. There was no difference in the initialization process. Subsequently, Mplayer commenced playing the video. In the case of the freeze, Mplayer simply stops playing after a couple of frames. Obviously, Mplayer is not the culprit. However, there's no indication of what is causing X.org to cease functioning. I need to recover the Xsession-errors log right after the crash. Since no archive is kept, I would have to restart the computer and boot using the "Live CD." Since the operating system is only using RAM, the Xsession-errors file should be intact.

Last week, moms had given me more religious literature to read from her church. Since the completion of my religious research, I have only perused such literature haphazardly. I may read an article or two, but only if I find the subject matter interesting. However, the rest of the content makes no sense to me. As I said before, one read of the Good Book pretty much discredits it. I am not even certain if moms has read the Good Book from cover to cover. Why else would moms be so dedicated to erroneous beliefs? The members of her church rely more on the ancillary publications rather than the source itself, just like most other dogmatic and cult groups.

I also believe that moms' longevity is directly tied to the belief that Armageddon is coming soon, a prediction shared by many sects of Christianity and Paulinity. I have a feeling that moms is determined to live through Armageddon. The sad part is that Armageddon is not coming ... well, not in the sense of Revelation and other apocalyptic texts from the Intertestamental Period. All in all, moms and millions of people have made ridiculous sacrifices to serve the church. And, for what?

Incidentally, I perused an interesting book by Dan Barker titled, "Godless: How an Evangelical Preacher Became One of America's Leading Atheists." The title says it all. I'll be quite honest that I am intrigued by people who were once very immersed in faith-based religion, then later opted-out.

With that said, I should briefly mention that I am enjoying Matt Taibbi's book, "The Great Derangement." I was quite intrigued by his infiltration of John Hagee's Cornerstone Church, a Christian Zionist and dispensationalist organization. Taibbi's indoctrination at the three-day camp retreat was hilarious. In introducing himself to the group, he depicted an abusive childhood at the hands of an alcoholic circus clown father who often punished him with his oversized shoes (i.e., Bozo cleats). Baha! Ha! Ha! Haaa!

Disappearing Dinero (Reprise)

Another urban nomad kind-of-a-Sunday ... a clone of last Sunday. Can you even believe it? Once again, the hottie gym trainer, a Lexi Stone look-alike, was working with a gym member for over 30 minutes in close proximity to the ol' lavahead. Baby was looking mighty fine, by the way.

The "condotel" unit was over $600 short of breaking even last month. That means I paid over 50 percent of the mortgage from my savings. The situation has now reached critical mass, just as I predicted. From the figures, Aqua management is charging room rates that are lower than that of a sleazy motel. I am estimating the figure at $44 per night. I am certain that the plan is to distribute the pain amongst all of the owners. The high occupancy floors such as the one my unit is on is now subsidizing the lower occupancy floors. Isn't that great?

I have got to revamp my finances, but I do not know what to do. My IRA bond fund of $29,000 earned $78 in dividends last month. The rest of my liquid assets earned less than that (see Financial Report below). There's something terribly wrong in the empire. My guess is that short-term interest rates will never go above zero percent for at least five years. The Fed is printing up money like there's no tomorrow. However, there is no shortage of buyers for the empire's debt instruments. Recession, unemployment ... nothing matters because the empire's consumers still spend more money on useless junk than their global counterparts. The whole world is waiting for the empire's consumer spending spree to take off again.