Folies Bergère

I neglected to mention that I exchanged my Brookstone® Tranquil Moments® "sound therapy placebo" for a piece of paper while at Kahala Mall yesterday. In other words, I donated the useless piece of crap to Goodwill and obtained a receipt to deduct its divestiture from my taxes.

Late last night, I commenced reading Morris Berman's book, "Dark Ages America." I have, for the most part, perused the whole book already while passing time at Barnes & Noble®. Berman focuses upon the internal criteria that will lead to the collapse of the empire. One criteria, the decline of "social capital" is of interest to me. However, I am getting ahead of myself. Berman will most likely have an extremely small following. He will be dismissed as being a "pessimist," as opposed to being a realist. I am inclined to agree with Berman that change will never come as long as we continue on the current course.

I was back to the same benign routine today. I have absolutely nothing to do. I had contemplated a jaunt to CompUSA® to check out a few computers, but thought better of the idea. Why put myself into a position of temptation? If I "window shop," then the tendency to actually purchase something increases exponentially. Of course, that's the bottom line of contemporary life, isn't it? Spend, spend, spend and accumulate useless crap to satisfy an empty soul. Then, when the novelty wears off, repeat the cycle.

Even with absolutely nothing to do, I have no immediate plans to return to wage slavery. Wage slavery will accomplish nothing except to lure me back into a false sense of security, one that will be broken again because of my refusal to capitulate to the "seven sins." It is my goal to complete my exodus from society, even though there will be immense obstacles along the way. With that, I will state that Berman's book, "Dark Ages America," will be my guide.

Let's tie up some loose ends now, shall we? So, what would I purchase if I had an extra $600 lying around? And, the answer is ... ?

As a follow-up to my discussion about the endless construction of Waikiki luxury condo, I cite some relevant passages from an article titled, "Waikiki's new luxury high-rise condominiums still have strong buyer appeal," in the Advertiser:

Fifield Cos. reported selling 48 of an initial 100 units for more than $700,000 in its planned 300-unit Allure Waikiki tower on the former site of the Wave Waikiki nightclub during an opening sales event that began about a week ago.

Jacobson said nearly all buyers are from O'ahu and bought a range of units in the planned 35-story tower where one- to three-bedroom condos are priced from the mid-$700,000s to $1.8 million.

Watermark Waikiki is under construction along the Ala Wai Canal about two blocks makai of the Fifield site. The tower is slated for completion next spring. Units range in price from approximately $700,000 to $4.2 million, or $1.2 million on average.

Waikiki's fourth high-rise project, the 38-story Trump International Hotel & Tower Waikiki Beach Walk, broke ground in January after a November one-day sellout of its 464 hotel-condominium units for an average $1.5 million. (emphasis mine)

Did you read the prices? These units are selling out even in the midst of the collapse of the so-called "real estate bubble." Incidentally, petrol prices are down ten cents per gallon because of a tax rollback. Currently, the lowest octane of petrol runs $3.19 per gallon on average. I suspect that the tax rollback came about hastily to prevent a local recession.

Shoebox Life

Some readers may wonder why I continue to delineate on issues not related to my shoebox life-style. Or, they may wonder why I even bother, given that the "blog" only has three steady readers, one of whom being my sociopathic buddy. Frankly, I have nothing else better to do. I have vowed to maintain the 'blog" as long as possible, that is, until I have satisfactorily obtained my goal of exiting society. I have already deprecated my vow to maintain daily updates, although I am still doing so for the time being.

So, what if I had $600 burning a hole in my pocket? What would I do with that dough? Would I purchase a new computer and install Ubuntu Linux on it? Would I indulge in rebuilding my now-defunct vast hurdy-gurdy DVD library? Or would I purchase a Glock® 9mm? The answer will appear later in the "blog."

That brings me to an interesting article by Richard Cook titled, "The Crashing U.S. Economy Held Hostage," which appeared on the Global Research site. Cook stated:

This means that under the regime of the world’s all-powerful central banking systems, money is brought into existence only as debt-bearing loans. Interest on this lending tends to grow exponentially unless overtaken by real economic growth.

Remember that every instance of bank lending, from purchase of Treasury Bonds, to credit cards, to home mortgages, to billion-dollar loans to hedge funds for leveraged buyouts or sheer speculation, must eventually be paid back somewhere, somehow, sometime, by somebody, with interest. In the end, it all comes back to people who work for a living, whether in the U.S. or elsewhere, because that is the only way the world community ever creates real wealth.

Oh boy! We're in big trouble now. Armed with that knowledge, I have decided to scrutinize my investment portfolio to locate anything with mortgage-backed securities in it. I must then divest those holdings. As I've mentioned before, I suspect that many bond funds hold a few suspect mortgage-backed securities. I am also beginning to believe that many money market funds hold a small percentage of those shaky securities.

Last night, I ended up at Barnes & Noble®. The hottie "bookseller" was on duty. Baby was looking mighty fine. At 10pm, I rode the prison transport (read: bus) back to Waikiki. However, I have been alighting in Waikiki Beach as of late. I find a bench to sit on for a few minutes before walking back to Quagmire Prison (read: hotel). By the way, I finally found a location where I could properly connect my Palm® TX to the Shakanet Free network.

As with every Monday, I meet moms for lunch, usually at Kahala Mall. I always purchase a cup of coffee at the Barnes & Noble® Café. Mind you, I have been trying to scale down my coffee consumption, the equivalent of a small-sized cup. Eventually, I would like to eliminate coffee altogether. However, that is wishful thinking right now. I finally purchased Morris Berman's book, "Dark Ages America." Moms and I ate lunch at Panda Express®. Lunch was delicious.

After lunch, I drove moms back to Hawai'i Kai. Moms served up coffee ice cream for dessert. I was able to chat for a little while longer before embarking on my usual mundane routine. During my visit with moms, the thought crossed my mind that moms is the only one who knows anything about me when I was an infant and as a child growing up. I was ten years old when my bro was born, so I can remember his childhood days. There, again, the importance of family becomes apparent.

Wax On, Wax Off (Reprise)

I ended up at Barnes & Noble® again last night. The hottie "bookseller" was on duty. Baby was looking mighty fine. I meandered about aimlessly until the store closed at 11pm. As I stood at the prison transport stop (read: bus stop), I observed the numerous homeless sitting on the benches. What is the difference between them and me? Very little, I'm afraid.

Layer, I rode the prison transport (read: bus) to Waikiki Beach. I sat on one of the benches by Pavilion One, the former home of Lou's Kabuki Theater. None of the regulars (i.e., semi-lucid homeless guy et al.) were there. I have not seen any of them in months. I walked back to Quagmire Prison (read: hotel). Along the way, I observed the homeless who were camped out under the other pavilion structures and along the beach. A few of them were sifting through the various trash receptacles.

I found it interesting to observe the myriad satanic gargoyles who were prancing around all of the derelicts and the homeless. It was as if the latter and former were invisible. A psychotic homeless guy was sitting on the beach talking loudly to himself and violently jerking his head. None of the satanic gargoyles even noticed. He was as unobtrusive as a trash receptacle. The few who did acknowledge homeboy's existence were laughing hysterically at the poor homeless psycho. Yet another sad snapshot of society.

I have become more inspired by the homeless. They are a symbol of the future for most of us, that is, when the secular Apocalypse finally arrives. An article titled, "It’s Official: The Crash of the U.S. Economy has begun," that appeared on the Global Research site, author Richard Cook presented four possible scenarios:

1. Acceptance by the U.S. population of diminished prosperity and a declining role in the world. Grin and bear it. Live with your parents into your 40s instead of your 30s. Work two or three part-time jobs on the side, if you can find them. Die young if you lose your health care. Declare bankruptcy if you can, or just walk away from your debts until they bring back debtor’s prison like they’ve done in Dubai. Meanwhile, China buys more and more U.S. properties, homes, and businesses, as economists close to the Federal Reserve have suggested. If you’re an enterprising illegal immigrant, have fun continuing to jack up the underground economy, avoid business licenses and taxes, and rent out group houses to your friends.


2. Times of economic crisis produce international tension and politicians tend to go to war rather than face the economic music. The classic example is the worldwide depression of the 1930s leading to World War II. Conditions in the coming years could be as bad as they were then. We could have a really big war if the U.S. decides once and for all to haul off and let China, or whomever, have it in the chops. If they don’t want our dollars or our debt any more, how about a few nukes


3. Maybe we’ll finally have a revolution either from the right or the center involving martial law, suspension of the Bill of Rights, etc., combined with some kind of military or forced-labor dictatorship. We’re halfway there anyway. Forget about a revolution from the left. They wouldn’t want to make anyone mad at them for being too radical.


4. Could there ever be a real try at reform, maybe even an attempt just to get back to the New Deal? Since the causes of the crisis are monetary, so would be the solutions. The first step would be for the Federal Reserve System to be abolished as a bank of issue and a transformation of the nation’s credit system into a genuine public utility by the federal government. This way we could rebuild our manufacturing and public infrastructure and develop an income assurance policy that would benefit everyone.

As you can guess, I am inclined to believe that the second option will be exercised. Alas, I can only wait patiently for the ax to fall. Pain and suffering will be incumbent upon us, something that has been long overdue.

Very little is being mentioned about the failed Iraq occupation anymore in the so-called "mainstream" media. It is as if Iraq has vanished. Yet, the alternative news and the alternative clipping services are filled with the horrific news of a "war on terror" gone bad. Sadly, even the alternative news punditry keep harping upon a concerned "American" constituency. Frankly, I don't see it. No one even mentions Iraq, no less discusses the stupidity that got us there in the first place. All I see are myriad fat slob satanic gargoyles carrying large Wal-Mart® shopping bags, all the while laughing and having a great ol' time. I bet that none of them have even given the slightest thought to the sheer number of fatalities in Iraq occurring daily. Out of sight, out of mind.

That brings to mind yet another puzzling thought. Have you noticed that Al Qaeda has grown into a worldwide organization as of late. Aside from overrunning Iraq, Al Qaeda is in Gaza, Lebanon, Afghanistan, and now in the UK. In fact, there are reports that Al Qaeda has also infiltrated several oil-producing African nations as well. Holy Mackerel! Al Qaeda did not even exist in Iraq during Saddam's time. Now, it is everywhere. Does that seem a little "fishy" to you?

Where's Osama? That's all I want to know.

Bottom Feeder Redux

In my discussion about Peak Oil yesterday, I neglected to mention the ramifications of population overshoot. The steep exponential rise in world population in the last 100 years has been directly proportional to the availability of cheap energy (read: petroleum) during that same time frame. In the future, the population is likely to overshoot Peak Oil by about 1.5 human generations, a predictable time lag given the hindsight determination of Peak Oil itself.

The most immediate result of population overshoot is hella pain and suffering for the masses. For most of the dimwit satanic gargoyles, pain and suffering translates to the inability to drive their 4000-pound motorized chairs around. Few even realize that every aspect of our lives and life-styles are intimately dependent upon oil. In a "globalized" economy, the dependencies (e.g., food) are critical. In the short-term, prices will rise. However, money does not fuel the ships that transport goods around the world. Eventually, massive shortages will occur. That's when the pain and suffering will will begin. We can only guess that the elite class will deploy some form of depopulation mechanism to "downsize" the masses. Can you imagine what those methods might be?

I have not deviated from my path of the mundane as archived in the literary subgenius in the "blog" of April 28th titled, "Who Knew?" I wander about aimlessly just as the increasing number of homeless do. In the evenings, I must find economical ways to occupy my time. No surprise that the homeless are loitering in the same places that I find myself. Even less surprising is that I dress exactly the same as "cleaner" derelicts and homeless. I have, perhaps, finally achieved the state of dereliction that has been my destiny all along.

Take this morning, for example. I rode the prison transport (read: bus) to town, sitting way in the back where the homeless, the derelicts, or the drug addicts usually sit. I toted my gym bag, which is filled with enough crap to make it appear as though I am carrying all of my worldly possession. I wear the same clothes every day, board shorts and tank top. I purchased a cup of coffee at Safeway® along with some generic fruit bars. Then, I sit at one of the benches in Kukui Plaza to drink my coffee while I listen to the free background music. Thank goodness, it's Smooth Jazz. Then, I patronize one of the clean public restrooms located in the Diploma Mill, which allows me to defer the expense of purchasing toilet paper. This is how I live now. I am one of the impoverished.

I must survive by finding ways to cut my expenses. Eventually, I will be eating with the homeless at one of the various missions. I can really no longer afford to feed myself. I am also seriously contemplating the default of my mortgage. Yes, I will lose about $53,000 or so, but I will be free within 45 days (i.e., time to foreclosure in Hawai'i). Not a day goes by that I do not contemplate my relocation to a homeless shelter. Why would I do such a thing? Really, it all boils down to the fact that I do not belong in this society. I am also unemployed (read: emancipated wage slave), which makes me a "bottom feeder¹" by definition. I have been gradually accepting that I am "scum," at least in the eyes of the "mainstream" culture. Even former colleagues view me differently, most times engaging in avoidance. It's laughable at best.

True feedom means that I must divest all of my useless possessions. I must also free myself from the "ownership" mentality, one that lured me into believing that the mortgage for the grubby "condotel" unit would provide me with a sense of legitimacy. I must also free myself of the "standards" and class system of society. The arbitrary classes of "homeless" and "derelict" are tools of enslavement. In the time of the end, such foolishness will be moot indeed.

I received e-mail from Kevin in Portland. Yes, that's the same Kevin from the days of the journal. I first met him in Seattle about eleven years ago. Long story. It's all in the journal. During that time, he's been to Kansas, then back to Washington State, and now Portland. I was glad to hear from him. I have very few friends as it is, mostly by choice. The friends whom I value are on the mainland or are my virtual homeys. At this point in time, I can only consider Pseudo-professor Glenn as a true friend in Hawai'i. The rest are merely acquaintances, some of whom are extremely nefarious.

I am not exactly someone whom most satanic gargoyles would consider a friend anyway. I am detached and remain uncommitted to the so-called "obligations of friendship." I have nothing to offer anyone, and vice versa. I could be accused of willingly participating in the demise of society by my aloofness. However, I did not make up the new rules, the backbiting and backstabbing variety so prevalent in our interactions these days. I would rather be alone than tolerate such stupidity. And, alone I am.

Obviously, if I cannot maintain simple friendships, then I certainly could not be involved in a relationship with a babe. I must often remind myself of that fact, especially when I see all of the hotties hookin' up with clowns. Some of those dorks have really hot babes. So much for Robert's lamentations that only true studs can hook up with a babe. What a laugh! Alas, the mind can deceive itself quite well. In my case, I can always identify my weak moments, when I feel as though I want to capitulate to my foolish desires. I quickly mummify the situation by revisiting the fact that I am no part of society. I cannot interface with the rank-and-file members of society. And, I cannot put myself into any situation that will compromise my values.

An article appeared in the Star-Bulletin stating that tourism has been down for the last two months. Hotel occupancy was down to 69 percent. There has been a 10 percent decline in Japanese tourists as well. Why would anyone want to come to this cesspool in the first place? Hawai'i is rated as one of the more expensive tourist destinations. Many of the aging hotels have been "refurbished," which resulted in rate increases. Sad to say, the "refurbished" rooms are still way below the quality found in equivalent mainland hotels. "We're talking about a shoulder period," said Joseph Toy. "So this follows an expected cycle." Expected cycle? As always, the "experts" have a canned answer. Toy is President and CEO of Hospitality Advisers. I can only hope that Peak Oil raises the cost of jet fuel. Only then will we see the tourist industry for the destructive farce that it is.

The Japanese tourists are coveted here because they spend more money per person in the whole tourism demographic. They also pay an extremely high fuel surcharge in addition to standard airfare. Are the Japanese that affluent? The rate of savings in Japan is fairly high, from what I understand. In addition, because of space limitations, real estate is quite expensive. Most of the rank-and-file Japanese live in cramped quarters, which tends to limit consumer spending. However, as tourists, they go hog-wild, spending like crazy on expensive entertainment, fine dining at posh restaurants, purchasing expensive clothes and jewelry, and indulging themselves at the most exclusive spas. Evidently, interest rates in Japan are near zero percent and have been that way for several years. In other words, their savings earn nothing in the bank. Could this be the impetus that explains why the Japanese are ferociously traveling abroad? Is that why they are spending money like there's no tomorrow?

There are at least four high-rise condo projects under construction in Waikiki alone with one new project just breaking ground as we speak. The city's infrastructure is already taxed beyond capacity. The sewer system is a case in point. Large sewage conduits have been constructed to bypass the antiquated system. In some areas such as the Ala Wai Canal, Ala Moana beach Park, and along Kalani'ana'ole Highway near Hawai'i Kai, there are hideous above-ground sewage conduits which are apparently permanent. Within the next three years, Hawai'i will be shipping trash to the mainland on barges. When greed is at play, there is no rationale that is unjustified.

¹Bottom feeder is defined as a "leech, or in other words a total lack of responsibility to provide for oneself. Relies heavily upon friends, neighbors or anyone really for sustenance. A slacker through and through." (Source: Urban Dictionary).

Diversionary Tactics

Last night, I ended up at my safe haven, Barnes & Noble®, in Ala Moana Center. The hottie "bookseller" had the night off. Boohoo. Did I mention that I stopped off at Barnes & Noble® in Kahala Mall yesterday morning?

Anyway, I spent an hour perusing Morris Berman's book, "Dark Ages America." I have decided that I will purchase the book whenever a fresh copy is put on the shelf. Berman discusses the sociological and anthropological aspects of our depraved culture and their subsequent ramifications. The decline of society is not simply dependent on external factors. As I have mentioned before, a fruit rotting from the inside will eventually destroy itself. Berman has provided what I believe to be the most succinct explanation of the degeneration of society, community, and purpose. The latter will make for great fodder in the "blog."

I was back to the same old routine again this morning, one that I greatly despise. However, as we begin to discuss Berman's book, we will see why I have ended up in this predicament. In fact, everything is making so much sense now. Perhaps there may even be a reason to perpetuate the "blog." Sheesh!

Lately, I have reduced myself to just skimming the alternative news sources. Day-in and day-out, it's the same ol' shit: resign or be impeached. Well, that's the "strong arm" message that is being delivered by the counterculture on the Net, a message falling upon deaf ears. The deafest ears are the actual perpetrators, Shrub and his bionic puppetmaster, Cheney. As I have mentioned before, the Democrats and Republicans are no longer even bothering with the standby "good cop, bad cop" theatrics. There reason is simple. There are no more decent "good cop, bad cop" scripts to follow. The charade is over. They are all shills for the "corporatocracy." That victims of the game - that would be you and I - will not do much until it is too late. By that time, there will be nothing but fat slob satanic gargoyles running amuck, inflamed with fear and anger when they discover the betrayal by their masters.

And, what of all the doomsday predictions? I am still standing by my own predictions of the secular Apocalypse. Armageddon is a Biblical prediction, and I firmly believe that it, too, is coming. I also believe that that the secular Apocalypse is part of the Armageddon prophesies. We are, of course, looking at the real possibility of a secular Apocalypse. However, the trigger is not known. In the near future, the effects of Peak Oil appear to be the most immediate catalyst. Peak Oil is here, whether anyone chooses to believe it or not. Petrol prices are an indicator of what's happening. If prices were plotted over the last ten years and regression analysis was used to generate a trend line, we would observe that the price trend has been steadily rising. We would like to believe that rising petrol prices are due to some nebulous force known as "inflation" or because of limited refining capability. However, truth be known, real inflation is directly tied to oil prices, even more so because the dollar is the world reserve currency (i.e., currency used to transact the majority of oil purchases). Since everything else, including the food we eat, is dependent on oil and its byproducts, then oil becomes the sole factor to determine global inflation. Thus, "inflation" does not affect oil prices. Rather, oil prices affect real global inflation.

Although the optimists always are quick to state that half the oil is still left in the ground, that last half becomes increasingly difficult to extract. In fact, we may never be able to fully extract all of the remaining oil. The "fly in the ointment" is the crazy world of financial markets, a world engulfed by greed for money and lust for power. Thus, the literal machine of a crazed consumerist society cannot be stopped. It is increasing in momentum and inertia. As a matter of fact, it would be too costly to slow down the madness. After all, costs are what we are unilaterally concerned about. Nothing else seems to matter.

That brings me to my quick thought for the day. The only way to stop the madness is to induce a worldwide recession. The recession, of course, must commence in the US, the mecca of consumerist gluttony. The Fed can accomplish the latter by raising interest rates above 11 percent, the rate of real inflation. Naturally, the ridiculous "infinite growth" will come to a screeching halt. Prices will rise as hyperinflation takes effect. The masses will suffer immensely. It would then be incumbent upon prudent lawmakers to establish a new "Bretton Woods"-type of agreement to stabilize all currencies and return to a more benign form of monetary policy. Let me be perfectly clear: the masses will suffer the same fate in the long run anyway. The process will occur by slow attrition, that is, each economic class sublayer will slowly be stripped of wealth and sucked into the vortex of permanent impoverishment.

However, unlike the inducement of a major "corrective" recession, the end result of maintaining the status quo of the current "system" will be irreparable. There will be a point of no return. Once that point is breached, there will exist only two economic classes, the bourgeoisie and the proletariat, of which the latter will have remediation. The proletariat class will have been stripped of their wealth and also most of their rights as citizens. Essentially, they will be slaves. Yet, even slavery in that future time will be a privilege. The majority of the proletariat class will live as homeless derelicts.

Another possible means to bring about a major recession is an incursion into Iran. Such an incursion would result in a scenario much like Peak Oil in its matured state. In other words, oil supplies would be diminished. Mike Ruppert does not believe that such an attack will occur. He wrote:

The US is not going to attack Iran. Stan Goff and I have been right for three years on this and we are still going to be right three years from now. The US wants and needs rapprochement with Iran for several reasons:

1. To be able to plug Caspian heavy-sour crude into the existing Iran pipeline system and bypass Russian strategic threats along the northern Caspian littorals and into the US-controlled Gulf.
2. Both the US and Iran are more concerned about Russian threats. Russia sees the US weakening and is becoming bolder. That puts Iran in a squeeze too. In order for Russia to get to the Gulf it has to go through Iran. Right now the "sideshow hostility" between the US and Iran is good politically for both Bush’s and Ahmadinejad’s poll ratings, such as they are..
3. Militarily (especially logistically) the US cannot possibly take on major attacks against Iran.
4. Iran and Venezuela are in a mutual defense pact wherein Venezuela will shut off oil deliveries to the US if Iran is attacked.
5. China, Japan, Europe and Southeast Asia cannot survive without Iranian oil and Iran will close the Straits of Hormuz. These countries will go crazy if the US attacks.

I, for one, believe that the Shrub administration will expand the "war on terror" to Iran for a variety of reasons of which I discussed previously in the "blog." Most noteworthy is the fact that the epidemic of the "seven sins" has shifted into high gear. Greed spawned the "serial bubble" economy which, in turn, spawned more greed. The belief that the "serial bubble" economy can go on forever and grow infinitely is a foolish bet. Such an economy can only thrive as long as there remains wealth to be plundered from the masses.

As the larger overlapping "bubbles" appear ready to pop, there will be a need for a diversion, a large diversion, that will preoccupy the puny minds of the myriad satanic gargoyles. What better diversion that a new war? The sorrows of war will bring desolation to an already demoralized populace, which will serve to increase consumer spending to ease the pain of meaninglessness.

Pumice Stone

I returned to my prison cell (read: little shoebox) yesterday afternoon at 3pm after my workout at the gym in town. I was beside myself to find something worthwhile to do after that, so I rode the prison transport (read: bus) back to town at 4pm. I spent about an hour walking around the State Capitol, I'olani Palace, and I'olani Barracks grounds. There were only two or three other fools in the vicinity. The entire grounds are beautiful with several large Banyan trees adorning the central hub. Even though the city streets run adjacent to the grounds, the traffic noise can barely be heard. I sat under one of the smaller trees and enjoyed my time. Just before dusk, I made the trek back to Waikiki. I went into lockdown for the rest of the evening.

I opted to go on my tanning hike up Koko Head this morning. The hike itself is extremely easy. I am able to achieve a moderate aerobic workout on the uphill climb. However, that is not the purpose of the hike. Aside from getting a much needed tan, I am able to enjoy a spectacular panoramic view from Hawai'i Kai to well past Diamond Head and Waikiki. On the other side of the ridge, I can enjoy the overhead view of Hana'uma Bay. The hike is also very quiet. No traffic or other city noises can be heard. The air is very pure. I always feel refreshed after the hike.

Going on the hike also gives me the excuse to visit moms. I could only spend an hour so with moms, but that's better than no visit. I drove moms to Koko Marina. Moms bought a small container of chili and a container of rice from Zippy’s. Then, we were off to Foodland. For lunch, moms heated up the chili and prepared sashimi (read: raw fish) for lunch. It was quite a feast. For desert, we ate coffee ice cream. I was stuffed. By the time we were done eating, it was almost 2pm. I departed for town after that. The rest of the day? Same ol' shit.

Moms had given me a pumice stone the other day. I have using it religiously to remove the calloused, cracking, leather-like layer of skin on the soles of my feet. That's what happens when slippahs (read: slippers) are worn every day, all day. I was perturbed to discover that the pumice stone was made in China. We produce nothing anymore except foam ear plugs. What if foreign trade were cut off or reduced, either through Peak Oil or sheer stupidity? We would be up Shit Creek without a paddle. Sheesh!

As the deconstruction and decomposition of my life continues, I can only firmly grasp what is of importance to me. Very little else has any meaning as far as I can ascertain. Am I mentally and physically prepared to separate myself from society, the exodus? I am getting closer. Besides, what is there left to salvage in Atlantis?

"Independence" Day 2007

Well, here it is, Independence Day. Same ol' shit. Well, at least I made some progress so far this year in establishing my so-called "independence" when I was emancipated from wage slavery. Is that worthy of celebration? Should I break out the cheap booze? There are days that I just want to walk away from everything, not that I have much to walk away from. All I would take with me is what I can carry. The rest would be abandoned.

Of course, that's not likely to happen anytime soon. I am too afraid to walk away from $70,000 in assets. I must sell them all off, I say to myself. Easier said than done. In fact, the easiest part was the act of purchasing the crap. That's yet another facet of the ease of blatant consumerism. I'm not a "Spring chicken" anymore. So, I do not have the luxury of "kicking the can" around for too long. I do have a strategic plan for asset divestiture. It has been implemented, but the timetable is way too long.

Joe Bageant composed an interesting article titled, "The Ants of Gaia," that appeared on his site. Keeping in the spirit of "independence, " I found portions of his treatise to be existentially profound:

As a small boy, I once transferred most of an anthill population from its natural digs in our front yard to a gallon jar of fresh dirt, sprinkled it with a little sugar (in the cartoons, ants are always freaks for sugar, right?) and then left the ants on their own. Of course the day came when all I had was a jar full of dry earth, ant shit and the desolation of their parched little carcasses. I'd guess that it was the lack of water that finally got 'em.

But the most interesting thing in retrospect -- if a jar of dead bugs can be called interesting -- is this: Up until the very end they seemed to be happily and obliviously busy. They constructed an ant society with all of its ant facilities, made more baby ants and did all those things ants do that the proverbial grasshopper is famous for not doing.

Obliviously busy? Sound familiar? Of course, most of the satanic gargoyles are not mindlessly oblivious. They have made a conscious choice to be infected by the epidemic of the "seven sins." They certainly know better, whereas the ants knew nothing of their fate. Near the end of the article, Bageant lamented:

Some few of us are in a hellish limbo, simply waiting for total collapse because it is easier to rebuild from nothing than to change billions of minds not even remotely concerned with the looming catastrophe. A minority of the world, the six percent called America, suffers the mass self-delusion of endless plentitude. A much larger portion is less concerned with the moral aspects of consumption because they are brutally engaged in trying to find enough to eat and a drink of clean water. So plentitude on any terms looks damned good.

Yes, I am one of the few who are awaiting the end times, be it the secular Apocalypse or Armageddon. As I have said before, we are a nation likened to a bull charging to the slaughter.

The day was uneventful. I had no access to a computer, so I was left to my own devices. Needless to say, I had nothing else to do but wander around aimlessly like a homeless guy. I would not doubt that I am mistaken for a homeless guy wherever I go. Who cares? That means less interaction with the satanic gargoyles. Fortunately, the gym was open. I can always count on the gym to provide me with an hour or two of activity. It's too bad that the hottie gym trainer won't come around to do da wild thing. Baby probably sees me as a homeless guy, too. Baha! Ha! Ha! Haaaa!

Atlantis

I remained in lockdown all through last night and subjected myself to the vanity known as CNN®. Very little coverage on the abomination and travesty of the commuting of "Scooter" Libby's prison sentence. Most of the coverage was focused on the fake "terrorist" bombing attempts in the UK. And, the news about Libby? There's no shock. There's no outrage. The satanic gargoyles are still lining up at Wal-Mart® to purchase myriad useless crap (all made in China). As long as the flow of Chinese-made goods remains uninterrupted, there will be no dissent from the masses.

And, what of "Scooter" Libby? He avoided a 30-month butt-reaming adventure in prison. Heck, even Paris Hilton did her time. The limp-wristed Libby would have eventually broke down and confessed the sins of his masters, probably after a psychotic fudgepacker makes Libby his "bitch." And, what of the rest of Libby's farcical sentence? The Republicans have already passed around the collection jar to pay off his $250,000 fine. He will probably skip out on the community service. What of his tainted reputation? Oh, brother. He most likely has a job lined up with one of the myriad satanic hedge funds as we speak.

It's fairly obvious who is pulling the strings. Hint: It's not the chimp. Dick Cheney most likely directed Shrub to perform the commutation or face the consequences. And, what might those consequences be? A duck hunting trip with Cheney himself, of course! The last victim ... errr, person ... to go hunting with Cheney was shot in the face. In the end, Libby was the sole fall guy. The real masterminds, and we know who they are, remain at-large.

There are numerous pundits going off the whole Libby scandal, so I really need not delineate much further. The Libby chapter only further serves to substantiate that the nation is totally corrupt and driven entirely by greed and lust for power by those in government and the maggots who serve the "corporatocracy." just like a spoiled piece of fruit, the rot below the skin has spread. Hubris is now bringing the rot to the surface. We are a doomed society, the new Atlantis.

I must admit that I still feel a void after completing the reading of the book, "The Great War for Civilization," by Robert Fisk. Fortunately, he still has his own section on The Independent site. Thus, I am still able to keep up with his insightful articles. And, as you can imagine, I am having difficulty finding a new book to purchase at Barnes & Noble®. Sheesh!

Sadly, I was surprised to learn that "debt equals wealth" in the world of satanic gargoyles. The latter thought is at the heart of the justification for amassing large amounts of debt in order to accumulate material "wealth." The "ownership" mentality often leads to the faulty perception that the mere physical possession of material objects is owned wealth. Only by using a standard accounting-style balance sheet will anyone be able to determine actual wealth (i.e., net worth). Debts are liabilities and must be subtracted from all assets in order to determine true "wealth."

In reviewing my monthly financial updates included in the "blog," the casual observer will note how precariously close I am to financial collapse. When I say that I am breaking even, I use the term loosely. There are many months in which my expenditures exceed my income. In such a case, I must draw on savings to cover the excess. Whether we are talking about $5 or $5,000 excess, the amount will never be replaced. Slowly, the principal depletes to nothing. If the depletion continues unabated, I would have no choice but to return to wage slavery.

Low Technology

Last night, I ended up at my safe haven, Barnes & Noble®. The hottie "bookseller" was on duty. In fact, baby has been looking incredibly hot lately. My mind started playing tricks on me. Thus, I immediately dispatched myself to the "Current Affairs" section to distract myself.

Every week on Monday, I meet moms at Kahala Mall for lunch at 10:30am. Today was no exception. I arrived early to procure a cup of coffee at the Barnes & Noble® Café. I usually sit at one of the tables and peruse a magazine. That's the good life to me. I don't expect much more. Moms and I ate at Pearl's Korean Barbeque. Lunch was delicious and filling as usual. After lunch, I drove moms back to Hawai'i Kai and spent a little more time visiting.

Moms is moving much slower these days, which is to be expected. I only worry about when moms may need a cane or one of those hideous "walkers." So far, moms has not had any health issues. I can safely attribute moms' good health to a proper diet. Moms consumes a lot of fruits and vegetables as opposed to meat, chicken, and junk food. That's the key, I believe. Moms has never smoked cigarettes or consumed alcoholic beverages either. I, myself, should have exercised better health practices, but I didn't. I will eventually pay the price for my stupidity.

Later in the day, I transferred $1,800 from my investment accounts to my local bank in preparation to see it all subsequently disappear. It is difficult to part with so much dough. However, I must chug along in the consumerist quagmire until the "system" eventually collapses. The stock market surged upward. Too bad that I didn't leave my mutual fund intact a little longer, eh? Oil prices are over $71 per barrel. Shrub essentially pardoned "Scooter" Libby." The whole government is out of control. The war drums are ramping up again over Iran. I am simply waiting for the whole powderkeg to blow.

I have decided to stay clear of technology as much as possible from now on. For the most part, technology is a big joke and an incredible waste of money. Take, for example, my "investment" in the Brookstone® Tranquil Moments® "sound therapy placebo," a $100 rip-off. My rationale was that sleep is very important and should not be compromised. I never liked ear plugs, so I opted for the technological solution. Enter the Brookstone® Tranquil Moments® "sound therapy placebo" (made in China). Add to that my $10 investment in earbud headphones because the device was often not loud enough to drown out the noise. In the end, the extremely passive technology ear plugs (made in US) was the ultimate solution. My Palm® TX is about the most useful technological device that I own, although its novelty has worn off. Yet, as with the Apple® iPhone, the device is almost useless without a connection to the Net. I have, of course, previously justified the purchase of the Palm® TX in the "blog."

Alone in Silence

I have not slept well in days. I am averaging about two hours of sleep per night in my prison cell (read: little shoebox). The rest of the time, I am simply lying still with my eyes closed. When I finally get up in the morning, I am physically drained. I then have to rely on coffee to keep myself semi-cognizant for the remainder of the day. I will not give in to the temptation of using sleep medication or cheap booze for sedation, I vowed to myself.

Well, aren't the ear plugs working? Yes, the ear plugs, once inserted properly, work quick adequately. The latest set of inmates, an African-American couple who are doing time in the adjacent prison cell, have been going out clubbing late at night. They return at 3am making all kinds of noise and talking at the top of their lungs. Even with the ear plugs inserted, I can hear all of that nonsense, albeit significantly muffled. Frankly, had I been truly asleep, I would not have even been fazed by it. What is keeping me awake? The discomfort of the ear plugs seems to be cause. I am, after all, a light sleeper to begin with.

I have trying to figure out how to isolate myself even further. I have cut myself off intentionally from mostly all of my friends and acquaintances. Not having a cell phone has been advantageous to that end. For the most part, my only contact with anyone is through e-mail. I will only use the phone for business purposes. I have also limited my personal contact. As I have mentioned before, I now deliberately ignore anyone who attempts to initiate conversation. If, for some reason, I cannot avoid social contact, I will engage in minimal, non-binding diatribe while making no further commitment.

Not so long ago, I placed value in friendships and social discourse. Not any more. I have nothing in common with the masses. I do not care to discuss pop culture nonsense or personal problems. I certainly don't want to discuss wage slavery. So, what's left? That's my point. Sadly, books and the alternative news media on the Net will be my social surrogate. I will continue to travel alone and in total silence.

I have also given slightly more thought about the future of the Fed interest rate policy. Given that the Fed has committed to a "serial bubble" economy, I suspect that it can never raise short-term interest rates beyond six percent. In fact, I am becoming more convinced that that the short-term interest rate can be projected along a damped sine wave graph with a minimum of zero percent and a gradually attenuating maximum. My rationale is that debt is not workable at high interest rates. Our false economy is based on ever-increasing debt rather than actual production. The growth of debt can only occur in a low interest rate environment. Continuous growth can only be a function of decreasing interest rates. Obviously, debt cannot be increased infinitely. Sooner or later, something has to give. I believe that the comment posted by "allblue" is a feasible projection.

One of the only reasons that I have left to justify the "blog" is that I am able to keep track of my finances. Since I no longer have any earned income, the latter task becomes quite important. I always report my monthly investment income on the 1st of the month. About three days later, I provide my itemized expense report for the previous month. Since I transact with a credit card, the actual payment of the expenses in deferred until a month later. Thus, I pay for last month's expenses with this month's income.