Even a dolt satanic gargoyle could easily figure out that the ol' lavahead's evening agenda is always the same ol' shit. In fact, he had detailed his evening itinerary in the literary subgenius on April 28th in the "blog" titled, "Who Knew?" So, why keep repeating myself?
Much to my chagrin, I have come to the realization that my life-style will never change regardless of whether I sell the "condotel" unit or not. I am in the impoverished class and always will be. Even if I were to return to wage slavery, I will only maintain a status quo that is slightly above break-even. By the same token, as I downsize my life-style, so will my income decline. The latter is obviously a state of nature. Thus, my eventual exodus from society remains elusive.
The usefulness of the "blog" has also been tested. I find that I rarely need to comment on current affairs anymore. The alternative news sites have been doing a great job ad nauseum with little effect. Everything is going downhill fast except for consumer spending. Even sales of 4000-pound motorized chairs (read: automobiles) are up. So, what is left for the "blog"? Nada. I will only continue to compose the "blog" because I have absolutely nothing better to do. At this point in time, I am not willing to return to wage slavery. The opportunity cost of being in the proximity of satanic gargoyles and being exposed to the epidemic of the "seven sins" far outweigh the advantages of a mere pittance in wages.
I have been reduced to the equivalent life-style of the homeless. The initial shock was quite perturbing, but I am becoming more resigned to my fate. I am keenly aware of my mortality as well. Surprisingly, I am one of the few to equate myself to the homeless. I could attempt to live "high on the hog" as do most of the masses of satanic gargoyles. Yet, the time period would be short. I would end up living literally on borrowed time. In other words, I'd quickly find myself deep in debt. And, for what? The homeless utilize every available (i.e., free) resource that they can. I must do the same thing. Essentially, my quality of life will not decrease. Only convenience will be sacrificed.
One debilitating practice that I must discontinue is the nagging contemplation of the amount of money that is flowing out every month just to meet expenses. The detrimental part of that thinking occurs when I imagine what I could have purchased with that money instead. Of course, the possible benefit of the latter is the formulation of a strategy to cut superfluous costs. Nonetheless, the threat exists that I would eventually give in to faulty reasoning and purchase useless crap in order to quell my initial concerns. Perhaps I have just described the "heart and soul" of consumerism, that is, the play on the old "good cop, bad cop" theme. We strive to find a balance between the evil and rote task of paying for expenses and paying for anything else that makes us feel good. Frankly, the logic makes no sense because it is infantile in nature. Shouldn't we feel good that we can survive at all, even if just barely? What must we always try to satisfy the insatiable Id1?
I've been listening to DI.FM Deep House, the best House Music channel, on Net Radio as much as possible. On July 15th, many of the Net Radio providers will be shutting down their streams, the details of which are cited on the SaveNetRadio site. If the shutdown occurs, that will be a sad day. There is nowhere else that I can tune into my favorite House music.
1Id, the entity responsible for primal desires for food, sex and aggressive impulses. The Id demands immediate satisfaction. It is amoral and egocentric, ruled by the pleasure-pain principle, has no sense of time, remains completely illogical, primarily sexual in nature, and infantile in its emotional development.
Saturday, June 30, 2007
Friday, June 29, 2007
Tsunami
Last night, I defrosted the tiny fridge in my prison cell (read: little shoebox) before departing for Ala Moana Center. I spent an hour or so at my safe haven, Barnes & Noble®. The hottie "bookseller" was on duty. Baby was looking fine as to be expected. When I returned to Waikiki, I did a little shopping at the detestable Food Pantry before going into lockdown in my prison cell for the rest of the evening. No, I did not purchase any cheap booze. I haven't consumed any cheap booze since the earlier part of this month. Frankly, I can no longer afford that crap.
This morning, I had to stop off at the Waikiki Banyan to pay the parking fee for my truck before heading off to town. I gave in to temptation and purchased two lard-filled Tina's® burritos for lunch from Safeway®. I can't remember when I had last feasted on the tasty artery-clogging entrée. The rest of the day was the same ol' shit.
The Fed kept short-term interest rates the same, so I was given a reprieve for another six weeks. Consumer spending is apparently continuing to rise, and the savings rate is falling even further to -1.4 percent. Only under such conditions will the Fed hold the interest rates steady. The so-called "real estate bubble" crisis has abated, or that's what we are being told. What is really happening is quite simple. The bad mortgages were "packaged" and sold with other dubious debt instruments. The losses are being absorbed by individual investors in mutual funds and participants in pension or retirement funds. When the current stock market "bubble" collapses, there will be even more victims of losses. Only the "little guy" stands to lose. That's right. Those small "corrections" of a few thousand dollars here and there that we were told to ignore as "normal market conditions" will never be replaced. Slowly, the "system" is siphoning off wealth from the masses.
Not to worry, as greed eventually wields its ugly head, the Fed will indeed lower the short-term interest rates to zero again. Cheap money will be available for the myriad "private equity" firms to use leveraged buy-outs (LBOs) to acquire, gut, and sell off what's left of any viable domestic business interests. Consumers will go berserk and squeeze the remaining equity out of their homes to "spend, spend, spend." Credit card debt will grow exponentially. And, so forth. As a saver, I am not immune from the effects of the culture of greed. Real inflation is beginning to hyperinflate because of excess "liquidity" (read: cheap money) and the cost of importing oil. Lower interest rates, for me, means that I will have less dividend income and will be forced to use savings just to survive. The tsunami of debt is going to drown all of us once its raging tide come back in.
I have been waiting for my investment IRA bond fund to recover anywhere near its NAV1 of four years ago. So far, I have incurred about $1,200 in losses, although the fund does earn steady dividends slightly below the money market rate. The losses, I presume, have been siphoned off by the "system." Where did it go? I assume that the wealth transfer lined the pockets of the elite class.
Well, the new Apple® iPhone made its debut today. Thanks, but no thanks. I'll stick with my antiquated Palm® TX. The iPhone is slick, but it's practically useless without a constant data connection. The phone itself is expensive, but the monthly service provider fee (starting at $60) is ridiculous. The iPhone is symbolic of consumer enslavement.
Judith had sent e-mail yesterday to notify me that the Asylum was delivered its fourth and final eviction notice. Apparently, the Asylum has been in arrears with its rent payments. After Samhain took his former partner (a fellow Persian) to the cleaners, he left the fool with a huge albatross. The cash flow problems went through the roof when the Asylum lost its Title IV status for Federal financial aid, the sole source of income for the dump. Judith expects that the faculty will have to vacate the premises within a week.
1NAV, net asset value.
This morning, I had to stop off at the Waikiki Banyan to pay the parking fee for my truck before heading off to town. I gave in to temptation and purchased two lard-filled Tina's® burritos for lunch from Safeway®. I can't remember when I had last feasted on the tasty artery-clogging entrée. The rest of the day was the same ol' shit.
The Fed kept short-term interest rates the same, so I was given a reprieve for another six weeks. Consumer spending is apparently continuing to rise, and the savings rate is falling even further to -1.4 percent. Only under such conditions will the Fed hold the interest rates steady. The so-called "real estate bubble" crisis has abated, or that's what we are being told. What is really happening is quite simple. The bad mortgages were "packaged" and sold with other dubious debt instruments. The losses are being absorbed by individual investors in mutual funds and participants in pension or retirement funds. When the current stock market "bubble" collapses, there will be even more victims of losses. Only the "little guy" stands to lose. That's right. Those small "corrections" of a few thousand dollars here and there that we were told to ignore as "normal market conditions" will never be replaced. Slowly, the "system" is siphoning off wealth from the masses.
Not to worry, as greed eventually wields its ugly head, the Fed will indeed lower the short-term interest rates to zero again. Cheap money will be available for the myriad "private equity" firms to use leveraged buy-outs (LBOs) to acquire, gut, and sell off what's left of any viable domestic business interests. Consumers will go berserk and squeeze the remaining equity out of their homes to "spend, spend, spend." Credit card debt will grow exponentially. And, so forth. As a saver, I am not immune from the effects of the culture of greed. Real inflation is beginning to hyperinflate because of excess "liquidity" (read: cheap money) and the cost of importing oil. Lower interest rates, for me, means that I will have less dividend income and will be forced to use savings just to survive. The tsunami of debt is going to drown all of us once its raging tide come back in.
I have been waiting for my investment IRA bond fund to recover anywhere near its NAV1 of four years ago. So far, I have incurred about $1,200 in losses, although the fund does earn steady dividends slightly below the money market rate. The losses, I presume, have been siphoned off by the "system." Where did it go? I assume that the wealth transfer lined the pockets of the elite class.
Well, the new Apple® iPhone made its debut today. Thanks, but no thanks. I'll stick with my antiquated Palm® TX. The iPhone is slick, but it's practically useless without a constant data connection. The phone itself is expensive, but the monthly service provider fee (starting at $60) is ridiculous. The iPhone is symbolic of consumer enslavement.
Judith had sent e-mail yesterday to notify me that the Asylum was delivered its fourth and final eviction notice. Apparently, the Asylum has been in arrears with its rent payments. After Samhain took his former partner (a fellow Persian) to the cleaners, he left the fool with a huge albatross. The cash flow problems went through the roof when the Asylum lost its Title IV status for Federal financial aid, the sole source of income for the dump. Judith expects that the faculty will have to vacate the premises within a week.
1NAV, net asset value.
Thursday, June 28, 2007
Prison Life
Last night, I attempted to remain in lockdown all evening. However, I was inundated with over three straight hours of Paris Hilton coverage on CNN®. Although Paris is a hottie, I really am not too concerned about her "ordeal" in prison. It's not like Paris is coming around to do da wild thing with the ol' lavahead. Sheesh! I couldn't take that crap any longer, so I departed for Fudgepacker Park (formerly Kapi'olani Park) at 9:30pm.
I spent about an hour in Fudgepacker Park. I felt much more relaxed. There were quite a few couples walking about as opposed to the usual group of degenerates and the resident homeless population. Foolishly, I had time to reflect on my pathetic life-style. I pondered my future as a celibate monk. A feeling of despair overcame me. I came to my senses a few minutes later when I realized that I have chosen my current life-style. I could never be a part of the so-called "mainstream" society because I do not believe in the "system." I share none of its depraved "values." I do not adhere to its adulterated form of ethics. My signal to leave the park was when the powerful sprinklers abruptly showered the bench that I was sitting on with a stream of rancid water.
When I arrived back in my prison cell (read: little shoebox), I went into lockdown immediately for the remainder of the evening. I did not sleep well at all again last night. I was startled by a series of loud slams from the adjacent prison cell at 5:30am even though I had deployed the ear plugs. I was extremely groggy when I departed for town at 9am. The rest of the day was the same ol' shit.
Special! Prison "Blog" Edition. Well, with little else to discuss, I must resort to the mundane. Yes, we will finally unlock the mystery of Quagmire Prison. Nestled in the filth of Waikiki, along the sewage-clogged banks of the Ala Wai Canal, the single tower of Quagmire Prison rises, yet is dwarfed by the other adjacent hideous high-rise monstrosities. The area is known as "The Jungle," not because it resembles the tropical forests that once proliferated in the area. Rather, it is a jungle of biped simians, the dreaded satanic gargoyles.
(Prison Images No LongerAvailable)
The open-air prison compound is what visually accosts a typical visitor upon arrival at the prison. The seating is tacky but comfortable. The faux tropical decor is annoying at best. Usually, there are myriad fat slob satanic gargoyles festering the entire prison compound.
The prison recreation area is extremely small. Frankly, it is a joke. Yes, the swimming pool is that small. It is slightly larger than Paris Hilton's bathtub. If any of the fat slob satanic gargoyle inmates were to jump into the swimming pool, the total volume of water would vacate almost immediately.
The watch commander's station overlooks the entire prison compound. The garrison, comprised of one prison guard (read: security guard), is deployed by the watch commander's station. Prison operation are handled by the command center located behind the watch commander's station.
The detestable prison cell is possibly even smaller than the prison cell that Paris Hilton occupied. North and south views of the tiny cell reveal its minuscule dimensions and the tacky, albeit sparse, amenities that are provided. Can you spot the puny microwave oven? How about the miniature LCD tube? The little fridge is located in the small cabinet. The prison-issue furniture, by the way, is the culprit in the infamous slammin' soirées.
That concludes the brief tour of Quagmire Prison and the detestable conditions that the ol' lavahead must endure while incarcerated. Unfortunately, no one in the so-called "mainstream" media will be interviewing the ol' lavahead to gain his insights about the real prison of modern life.
I spent about an hour in Fudgepacker Park. I felt much more relaxed. There were quite a few couples walking about as opposed to the usual group of degenerates and the resident homeless population. Foolishly, I had time to reflect on my pathetic life-style. I pondered my future as a celibate monk. A feeling of despair overcame me. I came to my senses a few minutes later when I realized that I have chosen my current life-style. I could never be a part of the so-called "mainstream" society because I do not believe in the "system." I share none of its depraved "values." I do not adhere to its adulterated form of ethics. My signal to leave the park was when the powerful sprinklers abruptly showered the bench that I was sitting on with a stream of rancid water.
When I arrived back in my prison cell (read: little shoebox), I went into lockdown immediately for the remainder of the evening. I did not sleep well at all again last night. I was startled by a series of loud slams from the adjacent prison cell at 5:30am even though I had deployed the ear plugs. I was extremely groggy when I departed for town at 9am. The rest of the day was the same ol' shit.
Special! Prison "Blog" Edition. Well, with little else to discuss, I must resort to the mundane. Yes, we will finally unlock the mystery of Quagmire Prison. Nestled in the filth of Waikiki, along the sewage-clogged banks of the Ala Wai Canal, the single tower of Quagmire Prison rises, yet is dwarfed by the other adjacent hideous high-rise monstrosities. The area is known as "The Jungle," not because it resembles the tropical forests that once proliferated in the area. Rather, it is a jungle of biped simians, the dreaded satanic gargoyles.
The open-air prison compound is what visually accosts a typical visitor upon arrival at the prison. The seating is tacky but comfortable. The faux tropical decor is annoying at best. Usually, there are myriad fat slob satanic gargoyles festering the entire prison compound.
The prison recreation area is extremely small. Frankly, it is a joke. Yes, the swimming pool is that small. It is slightly larger than Paris Hilton's bathtub. If any of the fat slob satanic gargoyle inmates were to jump into the swimming pool, the total volume of water would vacate almost immediately.
The watch commander's station overlooks the entire prison compound. The garrison, comprised of one prison guard (read: security guard), is deployed by the watch commander's station. Prison operation are handled by the command center located behind the watch commander's station.
The detestable prison cell is possibly even smaller than the prison cell that Paris Hilton occupied. North and south views of the tiny cell reveal its minuscule dimensions and the tacky, albeit sparse, amenities that are provided. Can you spot the puny microwave oven? How about the miniature LCD tube? The little fridge is located in the small cabinet. The prison-issue furniture, by the way, is the culprit in the infamous slammin' soirées.
That concludes the brief tour of Quagmire Prison and the detestable conditions that the ol' lavahead must endure while incarcerated. Unfortunately, no one in the so-called "mainstream" media will be interviewing the ol' lavahead to gain his insights about the real prison of modern life.
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
Floating Bubbles
When I arrived back at Quagmire Prison (read: hotel) last night, I hastily decided to do the dreaded laundry chores. I was able to secure a washer immediately. However, when I returned to put my laundry in the dryer, I had to wait about 15 minutes for a dickhead to remove his items one-by-one from both of the available dryers. Each item had to patted and folded. I should have slapped his head and made him walk sideways like a crab.
Once the laundry chores were completed, I made a dash for the prison transport stop (read: bus stop). I then rode the prison transport (read: bus) to Ala Moana Center. I was completely fatigued. I sat on one of the benches along the promenade. I observed the myriad satanic gargoyles all toting large shopping bags. Quite a few of them were puffing on cigarettes. The deadly smoke permeated the air leaving me gasping for breath. Everyone was either clutching a cell phone or carrying on a conversation on their phones. A few were sitting on other benches and looking at the screens of their cell phones. In a nutshell, I just described our aggregate society and its culture.
I could not help but observe that the bipeds that comprise what was once known as the "human race" are, in reality, hideous and ugly caricatures or creatures that seem to have no place in nature. Aside from the increasingly rare young hotties, there are few aesthetically pleasing biped lifeforms amongst the masses. The new race of satanic gargoyles are truly grotesque, what with their lard-engorged bodies and sleazy kabuki-masked visages.
I spent an hour in my safe haven, Barnes & Noble®, although the hottie "bookseller" was not there. Boohoo. All was quiet when I arrived back in my prison cell (read: little shoebox). I went into lockdown immediately. I did not sleep well again. At 4:30am, I deployed the ear plugs as a preemptive measure. At 6:55am, I was startled into consciousness by a loud thud even with the ear plugs installed. Obviously, the dickhead was engaged in a slammin' soirée.
I finally got up at 8:42am this morning. Groggy as I was, my departure time was not impeded in any way. I was surprised to see John from Heald board the prison transport while I was en route to town. I was sitting way in the back. He recognized me and joined me for a few minutes. We didn't chat for very long because he alighted about two blocks further. I ended up in town and performed the same benign ritual as detailed in the literary subgenius in the "blog" of April 28th titled, "Who Knew?"
I had a chance to reflect on my modest reunion with the old gang of the Asylum. What a sad story! They had attended a meeting earlier in the morning, the same kind of meeting reminiscent of the Asylum in the days of old. From what I could tell of the grumbling, the content of the meeting was as vapid as always. The same moronic hope that the Asylum will make a turnaround and become a flagship institution was regurgitated. Promises of restored benefits packages, pay raises, and so forth were the fodder of the murmurs that I was privy to hear. When will they ever learn? That's pretty much the new face of wage slavery. Jobs are not careers. Jobs are temporary means of survival. Yet, the payoff is relatively small compared to the grief inflicted upon the lowly wage slave. I have no desire to be a part of that crap anymore.
My discourse on current events has been tempered as of late. In fact, I must reiterate that I am merely glancing through the content appearing on the alternative news sites. It's the same old thing over and over again. The alternative news punditry has been reduced to the role of "preaching to the choir." No one else seems to care. Apathy and ignorance seem to go hand-in-hand these days. Just as physical laziness creates the myriad fat gluttons who mar the landscape, mental laziness produces the kind of sloth, stupidity, and one-track mindedness to purchase endless crap made in China.
The stock market is surging once again even amidst the collapse of a couple of Bear Stearns "hedge" funds. Real estate prices continue to decline. "Consumer confidence" is down. In fact, there's nothing but a smorgasbord of bad economic news. Yet, the stock market is surging. I am more concerned about future interest rates as set by the Fed. Eventually, interest rates will have to move. Up or down? If interest rates go up, all of those great leveraged buy-outs (LBOs) would come to end. In addition, the real estate market would collapse. Consumer spending would plummet. The trade deficit would drop by natural attrition. A major recession would result.
Once the laundry chores were completed, I made a dash for the prison transport stop (read: bus stop). I then rode the prison transport (read: bus) to Ala Moana Center. I was completely fatigued. I sat on one of the benches along the promenade. I observed the myriad satanic gargoyles all toting large shopping bags. Quite a few of them were puffing on cigarettes. The deadly smoke permeated the air leaving me gasping for breath. Everyone was either clutching a cell phone or carrying on a conversation on their phones. A few were sitting on other benches and looking at the screens of their cell phones. In a nutshell, I just described our aggregate society and its culture.
I could not help but observe that the bipeds that comprise what was once known as the "human race" are, in reality, hideous and ugly caricatures or creatures that seem to have no place in nature. Aside from the increasingly rare young hotties, there are few aesthetically pleasing biped lifeforms amongst the masses. The new race of satanic gargoyles are truly grotesque, what with their lard-engorged bodies and sleazy kabuki-masked visages.
I spent an hour in my safe haven, Barnes & Noble®, although the hottie "bookseller" was not there. Boohoo. All was quiet when I arrived back in my prison cell (read: little shoebox). I went into lockdown immediately. I did not sleep well again. At 4:30am, I deployed the ear plugs as a preemptive measure. At 6:55am, I was startled into consciousness by a loud thud even with the ear plugs installed. Obviously, the dickhead was engaged in a slammin' soirée.
I finally got up at 8:42am this morning. Groggy as I was, my departure time was not impeded in any way. I was surprised to see John from Heald board the prison transport while I was en route to town. I was sitting way in the back. He recognized me and joined me for a few minutes. We didn't chat for very long because he alighted about two blocks further. I ended up in town and performed the same benign ritual as detailed in the literary subgenius in the "blog" of April 28th titled, "Who Knew?"
I had a chance to reflect on my modest reunion with the old gang of the Asylum. What a sad story! They had attended a meeting earlier in the morning, the same kind of meeting reminiscent of the Asylum in the days of old. From what I could tell of the grumbling, the content of the meeting was as vapid as always. The same moronic hope that the Asylum will make a turnaround and become a flagship institution was regurgitated. Promises of restored benefits packages, pay raises, and so forth were the fodder of the murmurs that I was privy to hear. When will they ever learn? That's pretty much the new face of wage slavery. Jobs are not careers. Jobs are temporary means of survival. Yet, the payoff is relatively small compared to the grief inflicted upon the lowly wage slave. I have no desire to be a part of that crap anymore.
My discourse on current events has been tempered as of late. In fact, I must reiterate that I am merely glancing through the content appearing on the alternative news sites. It's the same old thing over and over again. The alternative news punditry has been reduced to the role of "preaching to the choir." No one else seems to care. Apathy and ignorance seem to go hand-in-hand these days. Just as physical laziness creates the myriad fat gluttons who mar the landscape, mental laziness produces the kind of sloth, stupidity, and one-track mindedness to purchase endless crap made in China.
Not that ignorance is new, whether that ignorance concerns current events, our national history, or our system of government. More than twenty years ago, I administered a different little quiz to my own community college students up in Washington State, and the resulting answers were equally dismal, with lots of students not able to say which century the American Civil War took place. Students thought Calcutta was in Canada, and that Camp David was in Israel. They also thought that Ralph Nader was a baseball player, and J. Edgar Hoover invented the vacuum cleaner. A majority could not date the year Christ was born within a hundred years, though lots of them were vocal in professing their status as born-again Christians. On blank maps of the world, foreign nations were sometimes placed within the continental boundaries of the United States; i.e., Kansas was misidentified as Poland. And, among the potpourri of bad answers were these: Darwin invented gravity. Andy Warhol wrote War and Peace, Timothy Leary was Secretary of Defense in the then-current Reagan administration, Winston Churchill was a French comedian, and Nagasaki was in Viet Nam. Student estimates of the population of the planet or the United States of America were wildly off the mark˜both high and low. (Ten billion was not an uncommon guess at the population of these United States.) And though Beirut, Lebanon had just been bombed by the U.S. at the time the quiz was given, students had no idea what country that city was located in, placing it all over the globe.The latter is an excerpt from an article by Jaime O' Neill titled, "The Triumph of Ignorance," that appeared on the Smirking Chimp site. It's a worthy read. Little wonder why I was terminated from the Diploma Mill. Little wonder why I will never return to the joke that is "higher education."
The stock market is surging once again even amidst the collapse of a couple of Bear Stearns "hedge" funds. Real estate prices continue to decline. "Consumer confidence" is down. In fact, there's nothing but a smorgasbord of bad economic news. Yet, the stock market is surging. I am more concerned about future interest rates as set by the Fed. Eventually, interest rates will have to move. Up or down? If interest rates go up, all of those great leveraged buy-outs (LBOs) would come to end. In addition, the real estate market would collapse. Consumer spending would plummet. The trade deficit would drop by natural attrition. A major recession would result.
Now, if interest rates were to drop to zero percent, then LBOs would boom. Jobs would be exported and outsourced like there's no tomorrow. Cheap money would be available to the poor satanic gargoyle consumers to borrow. Thus, the consumer spending spree could go on for a little while longer. A percentage of risky mortgages would be refinanced and possibly slow down the collapse of the so-called "real estate bubble." The stock market "bubble" would continue to inflate. The debt "bubble" would also continue to inflate. The trade deficit would continue to skyrocket. The economy would be booming, albeit propped up artificially. Given that choice, which route will the Fed pursue?
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Reunion
I did not provide much detail about the frustration that I went through all day yesterday as I had to deal with an unusually high number of dickheads, morons, and typical satanic gargoyles. I was pushed to the limit of patience by a barrage of stupidity. Is that a sign of the the end times? I ended up at Barnes & Noble® again last night. The hottie "bookseller" was on duty. Baby was looking mighty fine as usual. I meandered around devoid of purpose. I went into lockdown immediately upon my return to my prison cell (read: little shoebox).
I did not sleep well at all. The moron in the next prison cell engaged in a slammin' soirée at 4:30am and again at 6:55am. I finally deployed my new ear plugs. The ear plugs worked extremely well for a very minor expense. The only drawback is that the back pressure of pushing the ear plugs into the ear canal cause some minor discomfort. I am also unable to turn my head to the side to sleep. When I finally got up at 8:15am, I immediately boxed up the useless Brookstone® Tranquil Moments® "sound therapy placebo." In other words, I decommissioned the $100 piece of shit.
At 11:45am, I made the short jaunt to the Asylum, one that I have not made in a long time. Judith had finally responded to me via e-mail last week. Thus, I was able to coordinate a time for a brief visit. When I alighted the elevator on the fourth floor, I observed that the dump was deserted. One lone student was in the student lounge. The halls were completely empty. I peered into a couple of classrooms and noted that there were only between and one and three students in the classes. I ended up at the end of the main hallway, only to discover that the faculty offices had been moved. Chip was sitting at one of the desks. He is one of the two low-level administrators left. He was not too friendly with me, which did not bother me. After all, he proved to be a sell-out just like my old buddy, Kevin. I finally found the faculty offices. James, Judith, Wayne, and Joanne eventually filtered in for an impromptu reunion. I sat and chatted with them for about an hour. Our discussion centered around the Asylum for the most part.
Samhain apparently conned his partner out of a lot of dough (estimated to be $1.7 million with only an initial investment of $700,000). The partner is now stuck with an albatross that is on the verge of collapse. The Asylum recently lost its Title IV financial aid program and its ACICS accreditation. The total enrollment is down to 44 students total. Overall, it is a sad story. The faculty are simply waiting around for the dump to close down so they can file for unemployment compensation. I had a good time talking to the old crew, although it was not like the old days. Judith is planning to move to Las Vegas. She is going there on a scouting trip in a few weeks. I urged James to pan a get-together sometime later outside the Asylum. The rest of the day was the same ol' shit. Little is getting accomplished, although I do not have any specific tasks planned.
Incidentally, I have decided that I must rid myself of Peter Peterson's book, "Running on Empty." Fortunately, I purchased it for only $5 and some change. Peterson's "private equity" firm, The Blackstone Group®, went public last week. Peterson allegedly made $1.8 billion in a single day. Peterson described the problems of structured deficits in his book, yet he is part of the "engorged machination" that I described yesterday. Pure debauchery!
Finally, I have recently discovered James Kunstler's "blog" titled "Clusterfuck Nation." Kunstler, as you may recall, is a a long time advocate of the Peak Oil movement and is the author of the very timely book, "The Long Emergency." Definitely a worthy read.
I did not sleep well at all. The moron in the next prison cell engaged in a slammin' soirée at 4:30am and again at 6:55am. I finally deployed my new ear plugs. The ear plugs worked extremely well for a very minor expense. The only drawback is that the back pressure of pushing the ear plugs into the ear canal cause some minor discomfort. I am also unable to turn my head to the side to sleep. When I finally got up at 8:15am, I immediately boxed up the useless Brookstone® Tranquil Moments® "sound therapy placebo." In other words, I decommissioned the $100 piece of shit.
At 11:45am, I made the short jaunt to the Asylum, one that I have not made in a long time. Judith had finally responded to me via e-mail last week. Thus, I was able to coordinate a time for a brief visit. When I alighted the elevator on the fourth floor, I observed that the dump was deserted. One lone student was in the student lounge. The halls were completely empty. I peered into a couple of classrooms and noted that there were only between and one and three students in the classes. I ended up at the end of the main hallway, only to discover that the faculty offices had been moved. Chip was sitting at one of the desks. He is one of the two low-level administrators left. He was not too friendly with me, which did not bother me. After all, he proved to be a sell-out just like my old buddy, Kevin. I finally found the faculty offices. James, Judith, Wayne, and Joanne eventually filtered in for an impromptu reunion. I sat and chatted with them for about an hour. Our discussion centered around the Asylum for the most part.
Samhain apparently conned his partner out of a lot of dough (estimated to be $1.7 million with only an initial investment of $700,000). The partner is now stuck with an albatross that is on the verge of collapse. The Asylum recently lost its Title IV financial aid program and its ACICS accreditation. The total enrollment is down to 44 students total. Overall, it is a sad story. The faculty are simply waiting around for the dump to close down so they can file for unemployment compensation. I had a good time talking to the old crew, although it was not like the old days. Judith is planning to move to Las Vegas. She is going there on a scouting trip in a few weeks. I urged James to pan a get-together sometime later outside the Asylum. The rest of the day was the same ol' shit. Little is getting accomplished, although I do not have any specific tasks planned.
Incidentally, I have decided that I must rid myself of Peter Peterson's book, "Running on Empty." Fortunately, I purchased it for only $5 and some change. Peterson's "private equity" firm, The Blackstone Group®, went public last week. Peterson allegedly made $1.8 billion in a single day. Peterson described the problems of structured deficits in his book, yet he is part of the "engorged machination" that I described yesterday. Pure debauchery!
Finally, I have recently discovered James Kunstler's "blog" titled "Clusterfuck Nation." Kunstler, as you may recall, is a a long time advocate of the Peak Oil movement and is the author of the very timely book, "The Long Emergency." Definitely a worthy read.
Monday, June 25, 2007
Ad Hominem
I arrived back in my prison cell (read: little shoebox) yesterday afternoon at 5:45pm after another day of the same ol' shit. I could not endure another evening in lockdown, so I ended up at Barnes & Noble®. The hottie "bookseller" was on duty. Baby was looking mighty fine. I really wasn't in the mood to meander around the bookstore. I'm not sure what I want to do anymore.
This morning, I retrieved my truck from the Waikiki Banyan parking structure and drove to Kahala Mall. As usual, I procured a cup of coffee at the Barnes & Noble® Café and meandered about the bookstore. I met moms at the front entrance at the usual time. Moms and I ate lunch at Panda Express®. I drove moms back to Hawai'i Kai after lunch. My bro was at home when we arrived. Somehow, he did not transmit his return date to his boss, so he has a few more days of vacation time. I chatted with my bro briefly before departing.
Eventually, I ended up in town to perform my usual benign routine. The faculty computer room at the Diploma Mill was still closed. Lori sent e-mail. She wants to go surfing this week. Debbie, my realtor, had called and left a message about a rental unit that she knew of. I called her back to get the details. Caroll has also corresponded by e-mail. She apparently did not take the job with the car dealership. I'm not sure how she is surviving.
I must admit that we are seeing the end days of empire, a hideously engorged machination that is likened to a bull charging to the slaughter. We grow weary waiting for the end. In the meantime, the engorged machination, the "Great Satan," devours and destroys everything in its path. The engorged machination is composed of subordinate gluttonous, biological organisms which feed off of its plunder. We can only be patient.
This morning, I retrieved my truck from the Waikiki Banyan parking structure and drove to Kahala Mall. As usual, I procured a cup of coffee at the Barnes & Noble® Café and meandered about the bookstore. I met moms at the front entrance at the usual time. Moms and I ate lunch at Panda Express®. I drove moms back to Hawai'i Kai after lunch. My bro was at home when we arrived. Somehow, he did not transmit his return date to his boss, so he has a few more days of vacation time. I chatted with my bro briefly before departing.
Eventually, I ended up in town to perform my usual benign routine. The faculty computer room at the Diploma Mill was still closed. Lori sent e-mail. She wants to go surfing this week. Debbie, my realtor, had called and left a message about a rental unit that she knew of. I called her back to get the details. Caroll has also corresponded by e-mail. She apparently did not take the job with the car dealership. I'm not sure how she is surviving.
I must admit that we are seeing the end days of empire, a hideously engorged machination that is likened to a bull charging to the slaughter. We grow weary waiting for the end. In the meantime, the engorged machination, the "Great Satan," devours and destroys everything in its path. The engorged machination is composed of subordinate gluttonous, biological organisms which feed off of its plunder. We can only be patient.
The moneychangers and the powers-that-be, as disciples of the sinister kahuna, have called upon their master for assistance. A variety of "smoke and mirror" tricks are being used to artificially prop up the global economy. Though, not being satisfied with the latter, the disciples wish to wreak further havoc. I urge everyone to read the article by Michel Chossudovsky titled, "Bush Directive for a "Catastrophic Emergency" in America: Building a Justification for Waging War on Iran?" The article appeared on the Global Research site. Of interest is Chossudovsky's analysis of the disturbing "National Security and Homeland Security Presidential Directive," NSPD-51/HSPD-20.
Given that no one ever follows my suggested links, I am not sure why I bother. Yes, Sitemeter tracks "out clicks." Am I surprised that there are zero "out clicks"? No, everyone is too busy. Or, the pathetic surrogate for news on CNN is sufficient. Let's face it. Most of us have bought into the "system." We are the "subordinate gluttonous, biological organisms" that I previously mentioned. Too busy wage slaving, too busy consuming, too busy chokin' da chicken. Alas, that is human nature, isn't it? That's why history repeats itself. That's why the moneychangers and the powers-that-be are getting away with crimes against humanity. That's why we were warned by a higher power to "Get out of Babylon!" And, that's why the end time will eventually come.
Given that no one ever follows my suggested links, I am not sure why I bother. Yes, Sitemeter tracks "out clicks." Am I surprised that there are zero "out clicks"? No, everyone is too busy. Or, the pathetic surrogate for news on CNN is sufficient. Let's face it. Most of us have bought into the "system." We are the "subordinate gluttonous, biological organisms" that I previously mentioned. Too busy wage slaving, too busy consuming, too busy chokin' da chicken. Alas, that is human nature, isn't it? That's why history repeats itself. That's why the moneychangers and the powers-that-be are getting away with crimes against humanity. That's why we were warned by a higher power to "Get out of Babylon!" And, that's why the end time will eventually come.
Sunday, June 24, 2007
Furlough
I went into lockdown in my prison cell (read: little shoebox) immediately upon arrival at 5:45pm yesterday afternoon. By 9:30pm, I was going stir crazy. As I was preparing to leave, I noticed that a downpour has started. I had no choice but to remain in lockdown for the remainder of the evening, much to my chagrin. Sadly, I have only two evening furlough options: loiter around Fudgepacker Park (formerly Kapi'olani Park) or hang out at Barnes & Noble® in Ala Moana Center. That's it. I do not care to walk about and peruse the myriad sleazy shops that populate the Waikiki landscape.
Our consumerist culture has been designed as a complete "pay-and-go" operation. There are no other options. That is why there is so much focus on creating the ultimate mausoleum (read: tomb), a self-contained mega-complex for entertainment, eating, and a host of other support services. Those are the trappings of home "ownership," which should really just be called a trap. Little wonder why communities no longer function or exist. The shopping mall has now replaced the community, but it is superficial at best. Satanic gargoyles congregate the shopping mall "community" en masse as consuming automatons. No standard of a real community is achieved. I can then argue that the First World nations have all experienced a deterioration of social structure. Those nations are essentially rotting from within. Is that not what we observe today?
Only major tragedies seems to wake the satanic gargoyles from their coma. However, even amidst tragedy, there is little compassion or empathy. The tattered fabric of society continues to fray. The apathy and morose dereliction of humanity is at the heart of the slow implosion of culture, history, and duty. The epidemic of the "seven sins" runs unabated with the consequences just around the corner.
Lately, as I piddled around with my beloved Palm® TX, I discovered just how useless it really is. Well, I should add that I mean "useless" unless I have a reliable Wi-Fi® connection. As I have mentioned before, there is no free wireless access point that is reliable. I have never figured out the crazy scheme used in Quagmire Prison's wireless access point, although regular computers appear to have no problem. By the same token, the Apple® iPhone will essentially be useless without a constant connection to its one and only service provider. Will I break down, purchase a notebook computer, and install Ubuntu Linux on it? No, that option is not on the table.
I enjoyed being able to spend time with moms in the last two weeks while my bro and his family were away on vacation. It's been a long time since I've sat and ate dinner with moms. Nothing beats a home-cooked meal. I felt like I was really at home. Obviously, I had to ignore the fact that the house now belongs to my bro and his family. I will be back to meeting moms at Kahala Mall every Monday. If I get a chance, I will try to visit at least one other day in the week, although times will be limited.
Our consumerist culture has been designed as a complete "pay-and-go" operation. There are no other options. That is why there is so much focus on creating the ultimate mausoleum (read: tomb), a self-contained mega-complex for entertainment, eating, and a host of other support services. Those are the trappings of home "ownership," which should really just be called a trap. Little wonder why communities no longer function or exist. The shopping mall has now replaced the community, but it is superficial at best. Satanic gargoyles congregate the shopping mall "community" en masse as consuming automatons. No standard of a real community is achieved. I can then argue that the First World nations have all experienced a deterioration of social structure. Those nations are essentially rotting from within. Is that not what we observe today?
Only major tragedies seems to wake the satanic gargoyles from their coma. However, even amidst tragedy, there is little compassion or empathy. The tattered fabric of society continues to fray. The apathy and morose dereliction of humanity is at the heart of the slow implosion of culture, history, and duty. The epidemic of the "seven sins" runs unabated with the consequences just around the corner.
Lately, as I piddled around with my beloved Palm® TX, I discovered just how useless it really is. Well, I should add that I mean "useless" unless I have a reliable Wi-Fi® connection. As I have mentioned before, there is no free wireless access point that is reliable. I have never figured out the crazy scheme used in Quagmire Prison's wireless access point, although regular computers appear to have no problem. By the same token, the Apple® iPhone will essentially be useless without a constant connection to its one and only service provider. Will I break down, purchase a notebook computer, and install Ubuntu Linux on it? No, that option is not on the table.
I enjoyed being able to spend time with moms in the last two weeks while my bro and his family were away on vacation. It's been a long time since I've sat and ate dinner with moms. Nothing beats a home-cooked meal. I felt like I was really at home. Obviously, I had to ignore the fact that the house now belongs to my bro and his family. I will be back to meeting moms at Kahala Mall every Monday. If I get a chance, I will try to visit at least one other day in the week, although times will be limited.
Saturday, June 23, 2007
Tears of a Clown
I spent the entire evening in lockdown in my prison cell (read: little shoebox) once I returned at 7pm last night. As of late, I have spent most of my lockdown time mesmerizing my mind with the mindless fodder on the tube. I have been watching the extremely mind-numbing coverage of what supposedly passes as "news" on CNN®. I cannot see how anyone could claim to be informed just by viewing the news on the tube. The primary focus is anything "sensational," usually scandalous celebrity crap. Timely news items are devoid of substance. Very little quantitative data is presented, if any. Too many opinions of punditry are offered in lieu of fact.
Another day of the same ol' shit. I have been purchasing a box of Nature Valley® Granola Bars, a banana, and a small cup of Seattle's Best® coffee at Safeway® for the past week. That is pretty much all that I consume during the day. I may not go back to eating the air-filled energy bars. I am not sure if my low-caloric diet is to blame, but I have been feeling rather blasé lately. I have been devoid of affect, mostly going about my days like an automaton. Only my extended visits with moms has meant anything to me. I've observed a marked similarity between myself and the various derelicts and homeless loitering conspicuously everywhere.
I suppose that many "armchair psychologists" would pipe in right now. The "self-help" crowd would be pontificating about symptoms of depression and the need to seek therapy just as they did in the days of the journal. Lack of meaning, lack of purpose, no job, all will be cited as the causation of symptoms. In addition, I am devoid of hobbies and interests. I am a social recluse as well. When my mind was much weaker and more gullible to "mainstream" thinking, I bought into the possibility of dysthymia as my affliction. However, I can no longer accept such foolishness. The modern shopping, "pay-and-go" culture is at the root of this sick society. Attempting to maintain a high "standard-of-living" and acquire false "wealth" at any cost has created an environment of high anxiety. The cultural icons of real "wealth" are flaunted in front of us, the pathetic peons, at every turn. We can never measure up, but we fruitlessly keep trying. We so desperately want to be rich and famous, so perfect, so youthful, so infantile, that we forget about how our mortality is being used against us by the moneychangers and powers-that-be. Incredible amounts of time and money must be expended in the quest to become a "winner."
The "loser" will also shell out a lot of dough. "Losers" are a large market, ripe for the picking. Healthcare and psychological services are the primary benefactors of the "losers" market. So are the authors of the myriad "self-help" and "self-improvement" books and audio CDs. The real "losers," the ones who give up and become "depressed," are an even greater market. Illicit drugs, cheap booze, psychopharmaceuticals are huge profit centers. The real "winners," the top five percent in the food chain, are laughing all the way to the bank. They are capitalizing on the insecurity of the masses.
Boredom, the mainstay of "losers" and the greatest fear of "winners," is yet another tool to separate the masses from their money. The insecurity that boredom invokes will snap anyone into action to do anything, purchase anything, to stave off its debilitating effects. Yet, what is boredom. Usually, boredom comes about during solitary time. Yes, time alone. The weak, untrained mind is unable to cope with solitary time for it depends solely on external stimuli to distract it. As I have mentioned before, boredom invokes fear of mortality. We are wasting time and missing out on something, whatever that might be. Worst of all, solitary time forces the mind to think on its own. Even a weak, untrained mind can embark on a fearful journey of discovery. The Journey of the Mind.
One could technically become insane during the Journey of the Mind. After all, the mind has the capability to transcend our physical constraints. The mind's thoughts can become tortuous. Sadly, societal trends have worked extremely hard at "infantilizing" the mind, conditioning and softening it to make it more susceptible to suggestions of consumption. We learn to take in, literally consume, everything without a single thought or question. It is a unilateral Pavlovian process that simulates the breast-feeding of milk to a child. In boredom or solitary time, there is no consumption. The milk has been cut off. The child becomes fearful and cries in anguish.
The mind offers us two options. It can aid and abet us to attain insanity. Or, it can provide the way out of insanity. The latter option requires discipline and mental regulation. I have used a steady implementation of the monk life-style in order to wean myself of external stimuli. In turn, the cyclic pain and pleasure responses will be attenuated through a natural dampening process. The end result is, more or less, a steady-state mood condition devoid of prolonged affect. Obviously, there will always be situations which prompt spiked affect responses. We have not been acculturated to accept null conditions as normal. Therefore, the normal first reaction would be horror followed by panic.
Careful introspection would yield that the steady-state null-mood condition is not one of extreme boredom. It is a peaceful state that allows the mind to relax. It also allows the mind to progress to a reflective state. In the latter state, the mind is capable of embarking on infinite journeys. The mind can also completely clear itself of thought as often done in meditation. I found that I have been able to slow my pace down even further when I accepted the steady-state condition. Even the usual annoyances have had little effect on me. And, I have benefited more from my gym workouts as well. You may have also guessed that I have described the only cure for the epidemic of the "seven sins."
I frequently become teary-eyed during the day when I reflect on the many facets of my current life and life-style. No, I am not a wimpy faggot. I am talking about tears of sadness, tears of pain, and tears of joy. I feel regret over my belated decision to return to Hawai'i from the mainland. It would not have been so bad had I been involved in something productive. I wasn't. What hurts the most is that I just could not bring myself to fly back to visit for years on end. In the 27 years that I was away, I can probably count the number of times that I visited with both hands and have surplus fingers remaining. I've discussed the latter in the journal. I am happy that I finally returned to Hawai'i to honor my parents at the least. I have had to make major sacrifices to survive here, but that is a moot point in comparison. There is pain when I think about the masses who are suffering in various parts of the planet. I cannot help but feel the pain as I read the real news on the alternative sites or in the international media.
Ever since I read Robert Fisk's book, "The Great War for Civilization," I have never been the same. As a matter of fact, I have had little interest in purchasing any of the books that I have subsequently perused. It matters little about what I can and cannot do about world events. However, I can, at the least, learn the truth about evil and avoid its snare. I doubt that anyone has followed my recommendation to read Fisk's book. As I said, I have never been the same. I have not looked at news reports, especially from the Middle East, the same. I have not been compelled to believe in the virtue of human governments. Simply put, I have come to see El Diablo walking in and about the planet. Fisk's book is not the only book that could have a profound affect on a person, although it tends to "hit home" since the events he described are continuing to unfold as we speak. I have come to ask myself, why does this evil continue? Why do we still witness the same kind of genocide, the same holocausts, that have happened since the beginning of time? With all of the accumulated knowledge, even readily available thanks to technology, why are we as barbaric and cruel or even worse than our predecessors?
Fisk titled his book, "The Great War for Civilization," though I believe that he had a cynical intent. Civilizations are, in theory, determined to improve the lot of their inhabitants. Wars do not create civilizations. Wars destroy them. There is no way to justify the streamlining of genocide. It's all too easy now, with the general peasantry being the all-encompassing "collateral damage." Even in the First World, the "useless eaters" become victims of attrition. The dividing line is always about money or resources. Oftentimes, the normal "citizen" is simply unaware of anything beyond the small bubble of the "self." Thus, a self-ingratiating form of narcissism detaches the "self" from responsibility. All too often, a financial transaction finalizes its causality upon completion. We need not look any further and, therefore, are immune from complicity. Even those who still can feel compassion are aversive to pain. Better to not know.
Politics, by and large, has become a very sick game show. The all-purpose "good cop, bad cop" theatrics have disappeared into obscurity as the ratings plunged. How could it go on any further? In the end, we were simply left with "bad cop, even worse cop." I only mention the latter because I am rather sick of it. To add insult to injury, the corruption and malfeasance has hit an all-time high. There is nothing to distinguish politics from the world of entertainment. It's big-time joke, a "country club" for and by the elite class. Even the punditry and peons who follow politics do so with the glee of a sports fan. As we witness the slickness, the overall debauchery, and the numerous superficial public relations stunts, we tend to forget about the "collateral damage." Government does not exist. We have nothing left but myriad fascist dictatorships, corporatocracies, with a cast of very lousy wannabe actors and even more pathetic wannabe comedians. And, the real joke is on us!
The myriad satanic gargoyles and minions of the sinister kahuna want to be entertained. And, that's what they get. Entertainment, however, costs a lot of money. As with every program in the entertainment world, the novelty wears off quick. That's the main reason why the general public is tired of the Iraq war. Thus, a new war, say with Iran, will be needed to revitalize the ratings.
Another day of the same ol' shit. I have been purchasing a box of Nature Valley® Granola Bars, a banana, and a small cup of Seattle's Best® coffee at Safeway® for the past week. That is pretty much all that I consume during the day. I may not go back to eating the air-filled energy bars. I am not sure if my low-caloric diet is to blame, but I have been feeling rather blasé lately. I have been devoid of affect, mostly going about my days like an automaton. Only my extended visits with moms has meant anything to me. I've observed a marked similarity between myself and the various derelicts and homeless loitering conspicuously everywhere.
I suppose that many "armchair psychologists" would pipe in right now. The "self-help" crowd would be pontificating about symptoms of depression and the need to seek therapy just as they did in the days of the journal. Lack of meaning, lack of purpose, no job, all will be cited as the causation of symptoms. In addition, I am devoid of hobbies and interests. I am a social recluse as well. When my mind was much weaker and more gullible to "mainstream" thinking, I bought into the possibility of dysthymia as my affliction. However, I can no longer accept such foolishness. The modern shopping, "pay-and-go" culture is at the root of this sick society. Attempting to maintain a high "standard-of-living" and acquire false "wealth" at any cost has created an environment of high anxiety. The cultural icons of real "wealth" are flaunted in front of us, the pathetic peons, at every turn. We can never measure up, but we fruitlessly keep trying. We so desperately want to be rich and famous, so perfect, so youthful, so infantile, that we forget about how our mortality is being used against us by the moneychangers and powers-that-be. Incredible amounts of time and money must be expended in the quest to become a "winner."
The "loser" will also shell out a lot of dough. "Losers" are a large market, ripe for the picking. Healthcare and psychological services are the primary benefactors of the "losers" market. So are the authors of the myriad "self-help" and "self-improvement" books and audio CDs. The real "losers," the ones who give up and become "depressed," are an even greater market. Illicit drugs, cheap booze, psychopharmaceuticals are huge profit centers. The real "winners," the top five percent in the food chain, are laughing all the way to the bank. They are capitalizing on the insecurity of the masses.
Boredom, the mainstay of "losers" and the greatest fear of "winners," is yet another tool to separate the masses from their money. The insecurity that boredom invokes will snap anyone into action to do anything, purchase anything, to stave off its debilitating effects. Yet, what is boredom. Usually, boredom comes about during solitary time. Yes, time alone. The weak, untrained mind is unable to cope with solitary time for it depends solely on external stimuli to distract it. As I have mentioned before, boredom invokes fear of mortality. We are wasting time and missing out on something, whatever that might be. Worst of all, solitary time forces the mind to think on its own. Even a weak, untrained mind can embark on a fearful journey of discovery. The Journey of the Mind.
One could technically become insane during the Journey of the Mind. After all, the mind has the capability to transcend our physical constraints. The mind's thoughts can become tortuous. Sadly, societal trends have worked extremely hard at "infantilizing" the mind, conditioning and softening it to make it more susceptible to suggestions of consumption. We learn to take in, literally consume, everything without a single thought or question. It is a unilateral Pavlovian process that simulates the breast-feeding of milk to a child. In boredom or solitary time, there is no consumption. The milk has been cut off. The child becomes fearful and cries in anguish.
The mind offers us two options. It can aid and abet us to attain insanity. Or, it can provide the way out of insanity. The latter option requires discipline and mental regulation. I have used a steady implementation of the monk life-style in order to wean myself of external stimuli. In turn, the cyclic pain and pleasure responses will be attenuated through a natural dampening process. The end result is, more or less, a steady-state mood condition devoid of prolonged affect. Obviously, there will always be situations which prompt spiked affect responses. We have not been acculturated to accept null conditions as normal. Therefore, the normal first reaction would be horror followed by panic.
Careful introspection would yield that the steady-state null-mood condition is not one of extreme boredom. It is a peaceful state that allows the mind to relax. It also allows the mind to progress to a reflective state. In the latter state, the mind is capable of embarking on infinite journeys. The mind can also completely clear itself of thought as often done in meditation. I found that I have been able to slow my pace down even further when I accepted the steady-state condition. Even the usual annoyances have had little effect on me. And, I have benefited more from my gym workouts as well. You may have also guessed that I have described the only cure for the epidemic of the "seven sins."
I frequently become teary-eyed during the day when I reflect on the many facets of my current life and life-style. No, I am not a wimpy faggot. I am talking about tears of sadness, tears of pain, and tears of joy. I feel regret over my belated decision to return to Hawai'i from the mainland. It would not have been so bad had I been involved in something productive. I wasn't. What hurts the most is that I just could not bring myself to fly back to visit for years on end. In the 27 years that I was away, I can probably count the number of times that I visited with both hands and have surplus fingers remaining. I've discussed the latter in the journal. I am happy that I finally returned to Hawai'i to honor my parents at the least. I have had to make major sacrifices to survive here, but that is a moot point in comparison. There is pain when I think about the masses who are suffering in various parts of the planet. I cannot help but feel the pain as I read the real news on the alternative sites or in the international media.
Ever since I read Robert Fisk's book, "The Great War for Civilization," I have never been the same. As a matter of fact, I have had little interest in purchasing any of the books that I have subsequently perused. It matters little about what I can and cannot do about world events. However, I can, at the least, learn the truth about evil and avoid its snare. I doubt that anyone has followed my recommendation to read Fisk's book. As I said, I have never been the same. I have not looked at news reports, especially from the Middle East, the same. I have not been compelled to believe in the virtue of human governments. Simply put, I have come to see El Diablo walking in and about the planet. Fisk's book is not the only book that could have a profound affect on a person, although it tends to "hit home" since the events he described are continuing to unfold as we speak. I have come to ask myself, why does this evil continue? Why do we still witness the same kind of genocide, the same holocausts, that have happened since the beginning of time? With all of the accumulated knowledge, even readily available thanks to technology, why are we as barbaric and cruel or even worse than our predecessors?
Fisk titled his book, "The Great War for Civilization," though I believe that he had a cynical intent. Civilizations are, in theory, determined to improve the lot of their inhabitants. Wars do not create civilizations. Wars destroy them. There is no way to justify the streamlining of genocide. It's all too easy now, with the general peasantry being the all-encompassing "collateral damage." Even in the First World, the "useless eaters" become victims of attrition. The dividing line is always about money or resources. Oftentimes, the normal "citizen" is simply unaware of anything beyond the small bubble of the "self." Thus, a self-ingratiating form of narcissism detaches the "self" from responsibility. All too often, a financial transaction finalizes its causality upon completion. We need not look any further and, therefore, are immune from complicity. Even those who still can feel compassion are aversive to pain. Better to not know.
Politics, by and large, has become a very sick game show. The all-purpose "good cop, bad cop" theatrics have disappeared into obscurity as the ratings plunged. How could it go on any further? In the end, we were simply left with "bad cop, even worse cop." I only mention the latter because I am rather sick of it. To add insult to injury, the corruption and malfeasance has hit an all-time high. There is nothing to distinguish politics from the world of entertainment. It's big-time joke, a "country club" for and by the elite class. Even the punditry and peons who follow politics do so with the glee of a sports fan. As we witness the slickness, the overall debauchery, and the numerous superficial public relations stunts, we tend to forget about the "collateral damage." Government does not exist. We have nothing left but myriad fascist dictatorships, corporatocracies, with a cast of very lousy wannabe actors and even more pathetic wannabe comedians. And, the real joke is on us!
The myriad satanic gargoyles and minions of the sinister kahuna want to be entertained. And, that's what they get. Entertainment, however, costs a lot of money. As with every program in the entertainment world, the novelty wears off quick. That's the main reason why the general public is tired of the Iraq war. Thus, a new war, say with Iran, will be needed to revitalize the ratings.
Friday, June 22, 2007
Wealth of Fools
I reaffirmed the dismal nature of my existence as a cog in the machine of empire when I materialized back in the same mundane routine today as detailed through literary subgenius in the "blog" of April 28th titled, "Who Knew?" Even after my no-fanfare emancipation from wage slavery, I remain a simple cog. Really, who knew? Working steadfastly to exit society has not yet produced the desired result. Will it ever? I have maintained the moratorium on new purchases of useless possessions, even amidst growing temptation. I have carefully boycotted known exploiters such as Wal-Mart®, although I am certain that there no longer remains any large corporate entity that is not exploitative. Obviously, my "standard-of-living" and, hence, my "wealth," are both extremely low.
What exactly is "wealth"? And, how does it correlate to "standard-of-living"? In this nation (known as the "Great Satan" by various Third World nations), the definition of "wealth" is purely materialistic. By and large, "wealth" is the sum total of all tangible assets (i.e., material possessions). Moving further up the food chain, the addition of non-tangible financial assets enters the picture. Thus, for the masses, the accumulation of material possessions which allow them to appear affluent is the nature of "wealth." Furthermore, the masses will incur enormous amounts of debt in order to attain higher levels of perceived "wealth." Aside from the satanic origins (i.e., epidemic of the "seven sins) of greed and avarice, the desire for superficial "wealth" has its roots in our mortality, the basic thought being that we must possess all that we can or accomplish all that we can during our limited lives. If we are not successful at doing so, then we failed. The question, of course, is what exactly would we have failed at?
Are we then mistaking "standard-of-living" for "wealth"? Does the problem stem from equating "wealth" exclusively with money? In the current metamorphosis of our culture, "standard-of-living" is determined by the accrual of material possessions and the ability to pay for desired services. Nothing more, nothing less. In our increasingly superficial society, the tendency to compare our "standard-of-living" with that of our peers is high and provides the impetus to deplete our real "wealth" to outdo our competition. Thus, we are, in essence, mistakenly equating "standard-of-living" and "wealth." So much so that we actually will deplete real "wealth" in order to attain a perceived "standard-of-living" (read: false "wealth").
In my own fight against the demons of materialism, I had to realize the humiliation of appearing to be impoverished. Physical appearances tend to make strong impressions. I have very little in the way of clothing options. I now only own three board shorts and a handful of T-shirts and tank tops. I do not own a cell phone or a computer, which further makes me appear impoverished and disconnected from the so-called "mainstream." I rarely drive, option for mass transit, which further adds to the impression that I cannot afford even a beat-up 4000-pound motorized chair (read: automobile). I am also unemployed with no health insurance. The combination of those factors creates a very powerful image of a derelict, an image that will lock the ol' lavahead out of certain "privileges" of society. After all, I have forsaken the status quo "standard-of-living" and refused to acquire false "wealth." I have become a social outcast.
I have constantly reviewed the remnant of my false "wealth," specifically the "condotel" unit and my Nissan® Frontier truck, both of which are thorns in my side. In the end, neither the former or the latter have increased my "standard-of-living" or my real "wealth." Frankly, my real "wealth" has diminished. In turn, my "standard-of-living" has declined. Without understanding the true definitions of the terms involved, I would have misconstrued my position and pursued much more destructive goals.
With a minimum of material possessions, is real "wealth" simply "money in the bank"? And, what exactly is that money worth while it sits in the bank? Let's just say that "money in the bank" includes savings accounts, investment accounts, retirement accounts, pension plans, annuities, stocks, bonds, and so forth. Essentially, I am referring to "paper wealth." No real enjoyment is experienced by the accumulation and storage of "paper." Loss of all or some of that "paper" is highly probable, so it offers only moderate security. So, what good is it? The outcome of such a debate is at the heart of the whole discussion so far. Our perception of real "wealth" will determine whether we become rabid satanic gargoyle consumers or not.
Obviously, real "wealth" should also include other "intangibles" such as health and fitness, family, personal satisfaction, certain liberties, happiness, and other subjective components. Mind you, I refer to those components as "intangibles" because they are not a function of the acquisition of material possessions. They are also mutually exclusive of "paper wealth."
My discussion of this matter comes at an important juncture. I am rapidly approaching old age, and I am still grappling with elementary concepts that essentially is constricting the enjoyment of my life. I am embedded in a society that embrace values opposed to my own. I am, therefore, unable to function properly in that society. I am still too weak-minded or ignorant to believe that I have actually obtained what I have truly desired in life. My weak-mindedness is what often persuades me to keep one foot in the door rather than make a complete exit as well as dupes me into making bad decisions that set me back. Yet, sadly, being an outcast is certainly not an enjoyable experience.
The key, though, is that I am actually where I need to be at this point in time. I am in the fortunate position to find meaning and happiness without having to rely on externalities such as useless material possessions, meaningless pursuits, superficial friendships, and so forth. From the standpoint of the satanic gargoyles, I would appear to be weak misfit. A loser. Yet, why would I want to see myself in their eyes? I am driven to "Get out of Babylon." That is what I must do.
What exactly is "wealth"? And, how does it correlate to "standard-of-living"? In this nation (known as the "Great Satan" by various Third World nations), the definition of "wealth" is purely materialistic. By and large, "wealth" is the sum total of all tangible assets (i.e., material possessions). Moving further up the food chain, the addition of non-tangible financial assets enters the picture. Thus, for the masses, the accumulation of material possessions which allow them to appear affluent is the nature of "wealth." Furthermore, the masses will incur enormous amounts of debt in order to attain higher levels of perceived "wealth." Aside from the satanic origins (i.e., epidemic of the "seven sins) of greed and avarice, the desire for superficial "wealth" has its roots in our mortality, the basic thought being that we must possess all that we can or accomplish all that we can during our limited lives. If we are not successful at doing so, then we failed. The question, of course, is what exactly would we have failed at?
Are we then mistaking "standard-of-living" for "wealth"? Does the problem stem from equating "wealth" exclusively with money? In the current metamorphosis of our culture, "standard-of-living" is determined by the accrual of material possessions and the ability to pay for desired services. Nothing more, nothing less. In our increasingly superficial society, the tendency to compare our "standard-of-living" with that of our peers is high and provides the impetus to deplete our real "wealth" to outdo our competition. Thus, we are, in essence, mistakenly equating "standard-of-living" and "wealth." So much so that we actually will deplete real "wealth" in order to attain a perceived "standard-of-living" (read: false "wealth").
In my own fight against the demons of materialism, I had to realize the humiliation of appearing to be impoverished. Physical appearances tend to make strong impressions. I have very little in the way of clothing options. I now only own three board shorts and a handful of T-shirts and tank tops. I do not own a cell phone or a computer, which further makes me appear impoverished and disconnected from the so-called "mainstream." I rarely drive, option for mass transit, which further adds to the impression that I cannot afford even a beat-up 4000-pound motorized chair (read: automobile). I am also unemployed with no health insurance. The combination of those factors creates a very powerful image of a derelict, an image that will lock the ol' lavahead out of certain "privileges" of society. After all, I have forsaken the status quo "standard-of-living" and refused to acquire false "wealth." I have become a social outcast.
I have constantly reviewed the remnant of my false "wealth," specifically the "condotel" unit and my Nissan® Frontier truck, both of which are thorns in my side. In the end, neither the former or the latter have increased my "standard-of-living" or my real "wealth." Frankly, my real "wealth" has diminished. In turn, my "standard-of-living" has declined. Without understanding the true definitions of the terms involved, I would have misconstrued my position and pursued much more destructive goals.
With a minimum of material possessions, is real "wealth" simply "money in the bank"? And, what exactly is that money worth while it sits in the bank? Let's just say that "money in the bank" includes savings accounts, investment accounts, retirement accounts, pension plans, annuities, stocks, bonds, and so forth. Essentially, I am referring to "paper wealth." No real enjoyment is experienced by the accumulation and storage of "paper." Loss of all or some of that "paper" is highly probable, so it offers only moderate security. So, what good is it? The outcome of such a debate is at the heart of the whole discussion so far. Our perception of real "wealth" will determine whether we become rabid satanic gargoyle consumers or not.
Obviously, real "wealth" should also include other "intangibles" such as health and fitness, family, personal satisfaction, certain liberties, happiness, and other subjective components. Mind you, I refer to those components as "intangibles" because they are not a function of the acquisition of material possessions. They are also mutually exclusive of "paper wealth."
My discussion of this matter comes at an important juncture. I am rapidly approaching old age, and I am still grappling with elementary concepts that essentially is constricting the enjoyment of my life. I am embedded in a society that embrace values opposed to my own. I am, therefore, unable to function properly in that society. I am still too weak-minded or ignorant to believe that I have actually obtained what I have truly desired in life. My weak-mindedness is what often persuades me to keep one foot in the door rather than make a complete exit as well as dupes me into making bad decisions that set me back. Yet, sadly, being an outcast is certainly not an enjoyable experience.
The key, though, is that I am actually where I need to be at this point in time. I am in the fortunate position to find meaning and happiness without having to rely on externalities such as useless material possessions, meaningless pursuits, superficial friendships, and so forth. From the standpoint of the satanic gargoyles, I would appear to be weak misfit. A loser. Yet, why would I want to see myself in their eyes? I am driven to "Get out of Babylon." That is what I must do.
Thursday, June 21, 2007
Magic Mullah
I ended up at Barnes & Noble® last night. The hottie "bookseller" was on duty. Baby has been looking really hot lately. Once I returned to my prison cell (read: little shoebox), I went into lockdown for the remainder of the evening.
Moms called early this morning to invite me to stop by in Hawai'i Kai. After retrieving my truck, I drove to Kahala Mall first. I purchased a cup of coffee in the Barnes & Noble® Café and perused a few magazines. I finally drove out to Hawai'i Kai and arrived there before noon. Moms and I ate steak barbeque plate lunches from Foodland. While moms took an after noon nap, I walked down to the gym in Koko Marina. Moms prepared Broiled Opelu, a local fish, and Zippys® chili for dinner. All in all, a nice day.
My purpose for discussing economics is simply to maintain a vigil on the corrupt nature of the world of finance. We are all being robbed blind by various forms of Ponzi schemes1, the latest being the lure of easy credit (read: debt). The money "system" is a machination of the moneychangers and powers-that-be, the sole purpose of which was to maintain control of the masses. The current breed of the elite class may be suffering from the genetic defects of inbreeding because they are engaged in the most blatant wealth transfer to ever occur in history. The masses are being robbed blind, willingly, I might add. Thus, the masses are also complicit in their demise.
Since I currently depend solely on investment income, I must be even more vigilant. Thus, I had exchanged the last of my IRA stock mutual fund shares for IRA money market shares. I have noted that, over the years, the general advice was to maintain a portfolio of mixed investments with stock mutual funds assuming a suggested 80 percent of the portfolio. They key, we were told, is regular investing through up or down times. The average performance projections would be positive, in the range of 8 to 10 percent per year. That, of course, is a crock of shit. In the last ten years, I watched the one stock mutual fund go up significantly during the so-called "stock market bubble" and drop back to the original NAV2 during the bursting of the "bubble." By the way, that's the same hype told to all 401(k) investors. And, just imagine if Shrub's plan to "privatize" Social Security was implemented. Mutual funds are not self-maintaining. An investor must take an active role in shifting from fund to fund when necessary. My current goal now is to salvage what is left of my IRA bond fund investment, which was significantly hammered as of late. When I returned to Waikiki, I went into lockdown in my prison cell for the rest of the evening.
Say what? Why don't I just go back to wage slavery? Well, that is an option that is still "on the table," just like a possible incursion into Iran. However, I really don't want to return to wage slavery. I have no aversion to work per se. I cannot tolerate the myriad satanic gargoyles that I must interact with. Wage slavery, if left unchecked, is also the "seed" that gives birth to the kind of thinking that is fueling consumerism and debt to an all-time high. There is a false sense of security amongst the satanic gargoyles that their regular paychecks are permanent. On such-and-such a day, money will magically be appear. And, the magic money will continue forever. Magic mullah, dinero, cabbage. The clever mind that then discovers the power of leveraging. Loaned money is quite easy to obtain. Student loans are the easiest. Mortgages and credit cards are just about as easy. I was able to secure several mortgages in just a couple of hours of time. My first mortgage required a lot of documentation and income verification. The mortgage for the "condotel" unit was approved way before I submitted any paperwork. Yes, it's all so easy until it backfires. However, I maintain an unusual 1:5 debt-equity ratio as reported in the net worth spreadsheet (not available). Nonetheless, it is my goal to exit the "system." I must get out of Babylon.
1Ponzi schemes are a type of illegal pyramid scheme named for Charles Ponzi.
2NAV, net asset value.
Moms called early this morning to invite me to stop by in Hawai'i Kai. After retrieving my truck, I drove to Kahala Mall first. I purchased a cup of coffee in the Barnes & Noble® Café and perused a few magazines. I finally drove out to Hawai'i Kai and arrived there before noon. Moms and I ate steak barbeque plate lunches from Foodland. While moms took an after noon nap, I walked down to the gym in Koko Marina. Moms prepared Broiled Opelu, a local fish, and Zippys® chili for dinner. All in all, a nice day.
My purpose for discussing economics is simply to maintain a vigil on the corrupt nature of the world of finance. We are all being robbed blind by various forms of Ponzi schemes1, the latest being the lure of easy credit (read: debt). The money "system" is a machination of the moneychangers and powers-that-be, the sole purpose of which was to maintain control of the masses. The current breed of the elite class may be suffering from the genetic defects of inbreeding because they are engaged in the most blatant wealth transfer to ever occur in history. The masses are being robbed blind, willingly, I might add. Thus, the masses are also complicit in their demise.
Since I currently depend solely on investment income, I must be even more vigilant. Thus, I had exchanged the last of my IRA stock mutual fund shares for IRA money market shares. I have noted that, over the years, the general advice was to maintain a portfolio of mixed investments with stock mutual funds assuming a suggested 80 percent of the portfolio. They key, we were told, is regular investing through up or down times. The average performance projections would be positive, in the range of 8 to 10 percent per year. That, of course, is a crock of shit. In the last ten years, I watched the one stock mutual fund go up significantly during the so-called "stock market bubble" and drop back to the original NAV2 during the bursting of the "bubble." By the way, that's the same hype told to all 401(k) investors. And, just imagine if Shrub's plan to "privatize" Social Security was implemented. Mutual funds are not self-maintaining. An investor must take an active role in shifting from fund to fund when necessary. My current goal now is to salvage what is left of my IRA bond fund investment, which was significantly hammered as of late. When I returned to Waikiki, I went into lockdown in my prison cell for the rest of the evening.
Say what? Why don't I just go back to wage slavery? Well, that is an option that is still "on the table," just like a possible incursion into Iran. However, I really don't want to return to wage slavery. I have no aversion to work per se. I cannot tolerate the myriad satanic gargoyles that I must interact with. Wage slavery, if left unchecked, is also the "seed" that gives birth to the kind of thinking that is fueling consumerism and debt to an all-time high. There is a false sense of security amongst the satanic gargoyles that their regular paychecks are permanent. On such-and-such a day, money will magically be appear. And, the magic money will continue forever. Magic mullah, dinero, cabbage. The clever mind that then discovers the power of leveraging. Loaned money is quite easy to obtain. Student loans are the easiest. Mortgages and credit cards are just about as easy. I was able to secure several mortgages in just a couple of hours of time. My first mortgage required a lot of documentation and income verification. The mortgage for the "condotel" unit was approved way before I submitted any paperwork. Yes, it's all so easy until it backfires. However, I maintain an unusual 1:5 debt-equity ratio as reported in the net worth spreadsheet (not available). Nonetheless, it is my goal to exit the "system." I must get out of Babylon.
1Ponzi schemes are a type of illegal pyramid scheme named for Charles Ponzi.
2NAV, net asset value.
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