Cheap Boozin'

Yet another homeless guy emulation kind-of-a-day has been flushed down the urinal (not to be confused with the Diploma Mill). I am now in my ninth month of retirement (i.e., emancipation from wage slavery aka unemployment). I have become lethargic and ineffectual. Events that have transpired recently only served to make me indifferent to my own life. I lack both purpose and meaning. I have also come to the conclusion that, even though I am emulating a homeless guy, I am still far above the homeless insofar as my standard-of-living is concerned. I have learned useful scavenging tips from the homeless, though. No doubt, I can further extend my scavenging skills when the time comes. I am now in survival mode. I only do what it takes to survive. Nothing more, nothing less.

The highlight of my day was when I saw that the hottie gym trainer was on duty at the gym. Baby was looking gorgeous as usual. Alas, too bad baby won't come around, eh? I did my usual Monday workout because I have no idea what my schedule will be like tomorrow. I was back in my squalid room at Slob Manor (read: rental housing) by 3:15pm. I popped open a can of tuna and ate its contents along with a couple of pieces of bread. That sufficed as an early dinner. I piddled around for the rest of the afternoon. I popped open a can of Libby's® Vienna Sausages (not to be confused with the Vienna Sausage) for a snack at 5:30pm. Yum! The whole day was really quite nice, starting out overcast, but ending up with the trademark tropical sun and gentle trade winds.

The landlord stopped by at about 6pm. I was just walking back from putting a few things in my truck parked around the corner. The latest news is that the landlord now wants to move in to one of the studios in the back of the main house. So, Sushant (if he stays) and I can remain upstairs. The landlord plans to evict the babe who is living in the rearmost studio but also give her the option to move into one of the rooms downstairs in the house. Just then, baby drove in to the driveway home with her boyfriend. Baby quickly ran back to the studio after parking her car when she saw the landlord conversing with me. The landlord ran after her, which freed me to leave. Baby's boyfriend sat in the car. He's not supposed to be living with baby, but he is anyway. What's funny is witnessing how no one wants to talk with the landlord.

Later, I was beside myself to find something to do. So, I drove to Kahala Mall again. I dropped off a package of crap at the Goodwill dropbox. I stopped by Longs® and stocked up on Van Camp's® Pork and Beans. I wanted to purchase a couple of Cheesy Bean and Rice Burritos at Taco Bell® for old times' sake, but I was denied that pleasure. Dumbfounded, I walked to Barnes & Noble®. However, I was not in the mood to peruse anything. So, off into the dark I drove.

I decided to stop at Foodland in the Aina Haina Shopping Center again. I purchased a bottle of Fox Brook Merlot wine, a corkscrew, and a frozen burrito. I had to purchase another corkscrew because I had donated my nice one to Goodwill when I went "on the wagon" for good. So, here I am in my squalid room in Slob Manor, just finished eating the burrito, and now sipping the off-brand wine. I'm making a silent toast to Uncle Tosh, I say to myself, but that's a crock of shit. I'm on the downhill slide. Nah, I'm in search of "myself." Baha! Ha! Ha! Haaaa!

I am already certain that my current adventure is due to stray off-course. I won't be alone because we are all "going to hell in a handbasket." Our life-styles are unsustainable. About one half of the world's population is living in abject poverty as a result of the empire's vortex of consumption and illicit hegemonic practices. The Laws of Thermodynamics stress equilibrium and, eventually, there will be an equilization of forces. We will have to sacrifice a lot. I have already begun my sacrifice, so I do not anticipate being taken by surprise. Heck, I might as well enjoy some cheap wine while I can. It sure tastes better than cheap brewskis. Sheesh!

Recession Illusion

Another homeless guy emulation kind-of-a-day has careened off the road into a ditch. We already know the drill. The only enjoyment that I seem to derive during my homeless guy emulation is when I sit in the sanctuary of the inner courtyard of the library and when I walk through the gardens in the Capitol district. The beauty of nature is my only redemption. After my usual workout at the gym, I was treated to another bus nightmare. Nothing out of the ordinary, however. When I arrived at Slob Manor (read: rental housing), I decided to wash my Nissan® Frontier truck. Once I completed the task, I piddled around in my squalid room. I ate my usual dinner consisting of beans and bread.

With nothing else better to do for the evening, I drove to Kahala Mall. I just did not feel like riding the bus with the usual cretins. I spent about 90 minutes in Barnes & Noble®. The place was packed as was the whole mall. Apparently, there is no recession. Myriad satanic gargoyles were buying anything and everything in sight. I was shocked. I stopped by Foodland in the Aina Haina Shopping Center on the way back to Slob Manor. The price of food items have really gone up. Once again, I was shocked. My usual cans of beans are now as high as $2.49 per can on sale. Can you believe that crap? I procured a carton of milk, a couple of navel oranges, and a big-ass can of Foster's® brewski. Once back in my squalid room, I engaged in the same ol' shit with the exception that I had the big-ass can of brewski for a distraction. Sheesh!

The coming recession/depression may not be bad at all. In fact, the whole event was planned. "Globalization" enforced by the empire's military has enabled the same empire to open markets allowing the free flow of capital as well as products to and from the victimized nation-states. In the meantime, the empire's own citizens are being separated into either the poor or elite classes. Of course, the majority will end up in the poor and impoverished classes by default. The empire is being hollowed out, with only its military apparatus remaining fully intact and expanding. Capital flow from the empire's business sector has been flowing outward. Investments are being made in the "globalized" third-world nations, particularly ones rich with resources of one kind or another. Chicago School (i.e., Milton Friedman) "globalized" economies are required to "privatize" national assets. Thus, the empire's business sector has been buying up those assets at "fire sale" prices. War-torn or fourth-world nations will receive an influx of capital to build or replace infrastructure courtesy of the empire's business sector. The empire labels such activity as "exports." The idea is very similar to what Japanese firms such as Toyota® practice. Unable to sell to its own population, Toyota® is geared primarily for exports. The foreign firms even build lucrative manufacturing plants on the soil of its export target, on face value adding insult to injury. The empire's business sector has obviously forfeited all of its consumer-based industries and manufacturing concerns. Yet, the latter were mature industries that had to be divested or "off-shored" because production costs (mostly labor) were too high. Which brings me to the conundrum of the recession, the dissolution of the middle class, debt, deficits, and so forth.

Dick "Shotgun" Cheney has stated that, "Deficits don't matter." By the same token, he would probably assert that debts don't matter. One thing about Cheney, he has the cajonés to use the name "Dick." The Shrub administration has invoked huge tax cuts for businesses and the elite class, thereby reducing the empire's revenue stream. Then again, most of the savvy corporations have already left for tax safe havens abroad.

The assets in the the empire itself are being sold off. Social services are being cut. The empire's operational budget is essentially all borrowed money. The middle class is shrinking because it is impoverished. No tax revenue there. Yet, the empire, specifically its military component, is getting larger. It is my belief that the economy is being hollowed deliberately. I am not altogether certain whether the issue with declining consumer spending is that important. So what if the domestic economy collapses? A few domestic corporations may go under. A few domestic banks may go bust. The impoverished classes will suffer. There will be an explosion of homeless. The prison population will increase dramatically. However, the empire will continue on because of "globalization." Business investment and capital is now external to the empire and enforced by the empire's military.

Thus, the real estate of the empire will be a mess. Most of it will be sold off to foreigners as well as the empire's failing infrastructure. The empire's citizens will be impoverished and enslaved. The internal population will most likely be drastically reduced by attrition (i.e., starvation, disease, etc.). The power of the empire will be projected abroad. Investments will move completely outside of the empire's borders. Money will be made through exploitation of developing nation-states. The stock market will reach new peaks. And, the debts? They will be repudiated. Any entity attempting to collect will face an even larger and more powerful military arm of the empire.

Blinded by Empire

Another homeless guy emulation kind-of-a-day has cloned itself to oblivion. We all know the drill already. The day was almost an exact clone of yesterday. I brought my umbrella this time, though. There was a slight downpour while I was sitting in the inner courtyard of the library. However, the downpour was brief. The remainder of the afternoon was plagued with a continuous and annoying mist-like drizzle. I did my usual workout at the gym. Then, I was back in my squalid room at Slob Manor (read: rental housing) in a flash. Well, not exactly. I was back by 5:15pm. I performed the dreaded laundry chores and ended up wasting a lot of time because I had to do three loads of laundry. The last two loads consisted of two pieces of clothing each. Senility is evidentally creeping up on me. Yes, after I completed the first load of laundry, I found that I overlooked two pieces of soiled clothing. Repeat the last bit of idiocy again ... you get the picture. I thought of stepping out this evening for a breath of fresh air, but quickly changed my mind. Heck, I'm better off sitting in my squalid room all evening. Doing what? Same ol' shit, naturally.

I completed reading Andrew Bacevich's book, "American Empire," while I was at the library. I have now come to greater understanding of the empire. I have also learned some unsettling truths about the empire's involvement in Bosnia and Kosovo. I anticipate that my research will continue on with the recent history of the Balkans.

If we don’t know history, then we are ready meat for carnivorous politicians and the intellectuals and journalists who supply the carving knives. I am not speaking of the history we learned in school, a history subservient to our political leaders, from the much-admired Founding Fathers to the Presidents of recent years. I mean a history which is honest about the past. If we don’t know that history, then any President can stand up to the battery of microphones, declare that we must go to war, and we will have no basis for challenging him. He will say that the nation is in danger, that democracy and liberty are at stake, and that we must therefore send ships and planes to destroy our new enemy, and we will have no reason to disbelieve him.

That's Howard Zinn commenting about "America's Blinders." The article appeared on the Information Clearinghouse site. I found the article to be timely because it pretty much summarized the points in Bacevich's book, "American Empire."

Pax Moronica

Another homeless guy emulation kind-of-a-day has pushed the envelope of banality. We know the drill already. Sheesh! I have not seen the old local homeless guy in a long time. Let us hope that he has found his way to one of the few homeless shelters. I continued reading Andrew Bacevich's book, "American Empire," at the library. I am finally beginning to grasp the chronology of the empire's demise. I have discovered that much of what we are witnessing in the Shrub administration had its roots in both the Shrub the Elder and Bill Clinton administrations. "American" foreign policy quickly shifted gears after the fall of the Soviet Union. The Pax Americana empire was not accidental. In fact, I am almost certain that the Cold War strategists had planned on the eventual bankruptcy of the Soviet Union and accelerated its demise by means of the so-called "arms race." I was oblivious then, although I had no excuse. I was not a youngster by any means. I was just plain ignorant and fell for the ruse of partisan politics, or "political theater" as Bacevich refers to the charade. How could I have been so stupid?

And, that's really why the moneychangers and powers-that-be have selected the empire to do their bidding. The empire's slaves look upon its military with adoration. What is more important, though, is the empire's culture. Riddled with ignorance and arrogance, that culture is a pervasive force in "selling" its debauched values to the rest of the world population. Indulgence in the "seven sins" is enticing, and it is the most important weapon to achieve "globalization." However, there are regions that have not "bought in" to the concept (i.e., Russia, China, the Middle East). That's where the empire's military option comes into play.

We are looking at the devastation of Iraq and placing the blame on Shrub. However, the campaign against Iraq began under Shrub the Elder. Under Clinton's watch, Iraq's situation worsened with the embargo as well as the continual bombing campaign. I now find that my "good cop, bad cop" thesis of partisan politics has been entirely accurate. The nation is sick. It is infested with satanic gargoyles who are infected with the epidemic of the "seven sins." Its leadership, if one can call it that, is composed of puppets whose strings are being pulled by the moneychangers and the powers-that-be.

The morning commenced with extremely nice weather. The sun was out for once. There was no sign of rain, so I left my umbrella in my squalid room at Slob Manor (read: rental housing). In fact, as I was walking to the library with my cup of coffee from Safeway®, I was relieved to benefit from the shade of the large banyon trees in the Capitol district.

About 30 minutes before I left the library, I noticed that the sky had turned gray. A considerable darkness descended upon the inner courtyard. Then, a sudden downpour erupted. I waited until the rain subsided before walking to the gym. Nonetheless, I was nearly soaked when I set foot in the locker room. Worst of all, I noticed that the new showers were still not operational, a full two days behind schedule now. I did my usual workout. When I exited the gym, there was no rain. No hottie gym trainer either. As I rode the bus back to Slob Manor, I observed that the rain was moving toward the east. We passed through a downpour in the central part of town.

I was safely back in my squalid room at Slob Manor by 5:15pm. We had a slight delay on the bus in Kaimuki because the rear exit doors would not open. The driver followed the standard procedure of restarting the bus. However, that did not solve the problem. I was tempted to tell one of the passengers near the rear doors to push and pull on the rear doors. Fortunately, the driver had called for help. A few minutes later, he walked outside to push and pull on the rear doors. I knew the procedure because the same problem has happened many times before on different Gillig® buses. Had the driver not done so, we would have had to wait for another bus.

At 6pm, the rain finally arrived. A huge downpour commenced and did not stop until 8pm. I had no plans to be anywhere, so the weather was of no concern. I will remain in my squalid room for the rest of the evening. Same ol' shit.

Piddle (Reprise)

I found myself at Safeway® in Kuapa Kai at 9am this morning in order to satisfy my caffeine addiction. Moms was home when I arrived. I drove moms to Koko Marina. Moms shopped for groceries at Foodland. We then stopped by Loco Moco and Kozo Sushi to pick up our lunch. I ate a Beef Curry plate lunch. Moms served up fresh vegetables and Kim Chee. Lunch was delicious.

I chatted briefly with moms before walking to the gym in Koko Marina. I did my usual workout. I walked back to say good-bye to moms. I had to stop off at Payless® Shoes in the Hawai'i Kai Towne Center to purchase a ridiculous pair of canvas shoes (Airwalk Argyle Twin Gore). Well, hey! The pair was on sale for $17 and I like them! I'll be wearing those shoes to Uncle Tosh's funeral. The chicks who worked at the store were very friendly and helpful. I am not a consumer, so I can safely say that they made my shopping experience tolerable. I also made another stop at Safeway® to purchase a couple of Tina's® burritos for dinner. I finally drove back to Slob Manor (read: rental housing) at 4pm. I piddled away the rest of the afternoon, doing basically nothing. I will spend the entire evening in my squalid room doing what I do best ... same ol' shit.

Rabid Mutt

Another homeless guy emulation kind-of-a-day has ... you know the drill! I spent a couple of hours in the library reading more of the book, "American Empire," by Andrew Bacevich. It's been hard to put the book down. I have been particularly interested in the history of the George HW Bush and Bill Clinton administrations. Bacevich asserted that, fundamentally, there really was no philosophical difference between either. Most of the "partisan" feuds were what Bacevich called, "political theater" for domestic consumption. The idea that internal and foreign policy were tightly connected became a prevalent theme in both administrations. And, the limitation of domestic free market capitalism was known. Without expanding the market internationally, there would be little room left for domestic growth. Thus, "globalization" as an idea and a policy was borne. Economic policy became political policy.

The problem today is that "gloablization" has essentially gone awry. What was to serve as the basis for economic prosperity for "Americans" ended up hollowing out the domestic economy. After the Cold War ended, the new tool to bring nations in line with the "American way" was "globalization." Sadly, the moneychangers and powers-that-be are not loyal to any nation. They go wherever they stand to profit. In its current incarnation, "globalization" has failed to bring either China or Russia down. Hence, the latter and former nations accumulated massive dollar and foreign exchange reserves. No uprising or revolt resulted, and the governments of both nations are still intact. The only use that the moneychangers and powers-that-be have for the empire, by the way, is its massive military machine, which it intends to keep fully funded. Financially, the empire is bankrupt and is now in debt to several nations including the aforementioned two that it had desired to topple by "globalizing" their respective economies. The empire is at a critical juncture because it can no longer repay its foreign-owned debts. It will continue to hollow out its own economy, cutting more and more social services, letting its infrastructure self-destruct, selling off its assets, all the while lowering taxes for its elite class. Military expenditures will continue to increase and subsume most of the operating budget. However, those activities cannot go on indefinitely.

We are moving closer and closer to a major international conflagration. The empire's frustration now lies with China, Russia, and the assorted Muslim third-world nations who either outsmarted the free market capitalists at their own game or refused to become the rabid consumers that the empire and free market capitalism require to sustain endless growth and profitability. Greed is what thwarted the "system," and war is the only way out. The empire is a trapped rabid mutt. It can only strike out at anything and anyone.

I did my usual workout at the gym before returning to Slob Manor (read: rental housing). I have no interest in the rigged primary elections, so I did not follow the news coverage. I did notice that the stock market plunged allegedly on the bad news that there was a decline in the services sector of the empire. In other words, the rank-and-file wage slaves are not going out to eat and spending lavishly on entertainment as they used to. That's the beauty of an economy that is almost entirely dependent on consumer spending, eh? If the stock market heads for the abyss, the Fed will perform another "emergency" rate cut. And, war will be right over the horizon.

Well, the good news is that I will remain in my squalid room all evening. Doing what? Same ol' shit, of course!

Operation Barbarossa

A calm finally descended upon Slob Manor (read: rental housing) by mid-evening. Tobin and Pete are now Slob Manor alumni. So, only Sushant and I are left. The landlord s planning to move us downstairs. However, I do not expect Sushant to stay much longer than another month. I don't mind remaining in Slob Manor. I consider the place to be temporary, so I have no illusions about my subordinate rights.

Spankwire was congested as usual, so I spent my time at The Hermitary. I read the sparse entries in the Hermitary Forum. I was amazed to discover that there actually are monks and hermits just like myself. I read some of the descriptions that people offered of themselves as well as some of their opinions. Let's just say that I was amazed. I also realized that I have to stop thinking about babes like the hottie gym trainer. Spankwire is not doing me any favors either. I also realized that I can never return to the old life-style. I cannot revisit materialism. Nor can I seek out a social life. I must remain in complete solitude as a loner.

I was on my way this morning to Kahala Mall at 8:45am. I spent an hour or so sipping coffee and perusing a few magazines in the Barnes & Noble® Café. I read a very interesting article titled, "The $1.4 Trillion Question," in the Atlantic Monthly, which may answer a lot of questions about why China continues to financialy support the empire.

I met moms outside Longs® at 10:40am. Moms and I ate lunch at Pearl's Korean Barbeque. After lunch, we were on our way to the Aina Haina Shopping Center. Moms had to find out when the AARP volunteer tax preparers were going to be scheduled at the library. Moms also did some grocery shopping at Foodland. Once we returned to Hawai'i Kai, I was able to chat with moms briefly. I had thought about going to town, but I changed my mind. Instead, I walked to the gym in Koko Marina. I did my usual workout. I walked back to say good-bye to moms and retrieve my Nissan® Frontier truck. I made a quick stop at Safeway® to purchase a few grocery items, including two Tina's® burritos for dinner.

Driving back to Slob Manor (read: rental housing), I realized how enticing and the deceiving the "good Life" really is. At best, such a life-syle is unsustainable. Once back in Slob Manor, I did a quick cleaning of the second floor common area. The rest of the day and evening will be ... say it ain't so ... yep, the same ol' shit.

I am not sure how much longer I can keep reading articles such as the one titled, "Kosovo secession linked to NATO expansion," that appeared on the Global Research site. More and more, I have been discovering the real history of the empire. And, frankly, it's not a pretty picture. What is becoming frightening is the prospect that there is an underlying mission to engage in war with Russia, China, or both. The empire's plan, apparently, is to use nuclear weapons in a preemptive first-strike delivered by its tool, NATO. Could there really be a new Operation Barbarossa in the works?

A confrontation with Russia may be a long-term goal of the moneychangers and powers-that-be. In the immediate term, there has been a lot of speculation about recent and upcoming events. Net access for most of the Middle East with the exception of Israel and Iraq has been abruptly cut off and attributed to four "coincidental" and concurrent deep sea cable cuts. Iran has been totally blacked out. Next week, Iran will be opening its oil bourse which will trade in all currencies except the dollar. The Fed has only one percent left in interest rate cuts before reaching the "war level" of two percent. Even more spooky is the fact that the "economic stimulus" package is almost identical to the one implemented seven years ago. We will soon discover whether recent history is repeating itself.

Showdown at Slob Manor

Another homeless guy emulation kind-of-a-day came and went with a whimper. I did my usual workout at the gym. No hottie gym trainer. Actually, hardly anyone was around, thanks to the Super Bowl. With the lack of myriad morons, I was able to run ahead of schedule. I was back in my squalid room at Slob Manor (read: rental housing) by 3pm. Thus, I was able to perform the dreaded laundry chores at a leisurely pace.

At 6:30pm, the relative quiet at Slob Manor was disrupted as Pete and Tobin were readying themselves to move out. The landlord had arrived a few minutes earlier for "check out." Apparently, the question of splitting the cost of damages that resulted from the big party a couple of months ago came up in a heated discussion. Tobin called "Honolulu's Finest," to see if he could have the landlord arrested for trespassing. Sushant got in the mix because he was originally to bear the entire cost of the damages. Two squad cars responded. The rest of the landlord's family showed up as well. Frankly, the situation was totally out of control. I stayed at the sidelines because I have no involvment in the fiasco. I had contemplated making the trek to Kahala Mall this evening. However, the idiocy continued on for a while. Pete was smart enough to square away his deposit and leave. While the confrontation dragged on, I ate my usual fare (i.e., beans and bread) for dinner silently in my squalid room. The rest of the evening? Same ol' shit.

My expenses are still sky-high (a record $2,771), much to my chagrin. I transferred $2,000 from my investment account to my local bank in order to cover the payment of my expenses. Money is rapidly vanishing.

I find it quite humorous how inflation is now no longer a concern of the Fed, or anybody else for that matter. The last time the Fed lowered short-term interest rates to near-zero percent (and created the so-called "housing bubble"), inflation took off. Naturally, few satanic gargoyles cared because home values rose to offset inflation. Sadly, aside from home prices, has the cost of anything else (e.g., petrol, food, etc.) ever come down? Not really. So, too, this new round of Fed-induced inflation. Can I imagine spending $6 for a loaf of bread? Not really, but it's going to happen very soon. Even the price of canned beans is $2 or more right now.

Debt rules! Debt is wealth! That's what we've been told forever. I remember when I was approved for my first credit card with a credit line of $100 maximum. I was elated because I was "establishing" my credit. All these years, the word "credit" kept popping up. Now, it's essential to keep reviewing the idiotic credit score. The word "credit" is synonymous with "debt." We've been brainwashed for decades to believe that debt was the preferable mode to accumulate wealth. Now, debt has come back and bit us all in the ass, a toxic bite that is going to take many of us out. Cheap debt requires infinite "liquidity," which means more and more inflation. When will the rest of the fools figure that out?

Is the damned secular Apocalypse finally coming or not? That's the question enquiring minds want to know. Gerald Celente seems to think so. He is the director of Trends Research Institute. His latest predictions got him sequestered from the "mainstream.”

Finally, guys with big money and small Vienna Sausage can arrange for "private time" with a bevy of hot chicks through Bella Models. Lots of hurdy-gurdy hotties are on call. Check out the reasonable rates. Some of my favorite babes are featured there. Say, why don't we all join?

Power of Consumption

While I stand at the bus stop every morning, I observe thousands of 4000-pound motorized chairs (read: automobiles) whizzing past me. The driver of the 4000-pound motorized chair, usually alone, is smoking cigarettes or gabbing on a cell phone. And there I am, waiting for the bus which is always late. I sit in the rock hard seats which have given me something similar to bed sores. The 4000-pound motorized chairs have very comfortable seating inside an environmentally-controlled bubble. I am also subject to whatever the weather has to offer at any given moment. How do those fools afford such a life-style? Hawai'i is an expensive place to live. Petrol prices, amongst other commodities, are the highest in the empire. Yet, here I am reading that the rank-and-file satanic gargoyles have resorted to using credit cards to just get by. Their average balance is over $9,000 per satanic gargoyle. Can we imagine what the median balance is? Yet, I often feel that I am the poorest guy on the island.

During the course of my typical homeless guy emulation kind-of-a-day, I find that I am surrounded by the economically disenfranchised. I have observed that most of them are living "high on the hog" as opposed to myself. They ride the bus because they cannot afford a car. However, they can afford every other kind of shiny object or useless crap. All I have over them is the fact that I do own a 6000-pound motorized chair (i.e., my Nissan® Frontier truck). I cannot afford to drive it everywhere every single day. In fact, the time is rapidly approaching to divest myself of the truck.

Is everyone here Big Money Grip? They have much more dough than I can even imagine. I cannot just throw down a few hundred dollars here and there. I am eating beans and bread every day, damn it! Pete, one of the housemates, left his W-2 statement lying around. I noticed that he earned a little over $9,000 last year. Of course, he also had another wage slave job. Yet, he was living "high on the hog." Are all of these fools just spending every dime they earn and more?

When I arrived in town this morning, the weather turned bleak. Within minutes of walking to Safeway®, the rain started up. Since I am in no hurry to be anywhere, I can afford to wait until the rain stops. Eventually, I ended up at the library where I engaged in reading yet another enlightening book: "American Empire: The Realities and Consequences of U.S. Diplomacy," written by Andrew Bacevich. It is a fascinating book. However, I have become mentally fatigued from the barrage of truth that I have recently uncovered. In fact, I am no longer certain that I can even remotely participate in society.

I did my usual workout at the gym. I was able to board a bus within minutes of exiting the gym. Thus, I was back in my squalid room at Slob Manor (read: rental housing) by 5pm. The landlord was there supervising the partial moving of Pete and Tobin. They are apparently vacating the premises tomorrow. Once again, I am spending the entire evening in my squalid room. Same ol' shit.

Joel Hirschhorn literally "hit the nail on the head" with the article titled, "The Evolution of Evil." An excerpt:

The tools of real rebellion are weak. Activists and dissidents look back and see successful rebellions and revolutions and think that when today’s victims of tyranny experience enough pain and see enough political stink they too will revolt. This is wrong. They think that the Internet spreads information and inspiration to the masses, motivating them to revolt. This is wrong. They await catastrophic economic or environmental collapse to spur rebellion. This too is wrong.

Why are these beliefs wrong? Power elites have an arsenal of weapons to control and manipulate social, political and economic systems globally: corruption of public officials that make elections a sham; corporate mainstream media that turn news into propaganda; manipulation of financial markets that create fear for the public and profits for the privileged; false free trade globalization that destroys the middle class; rising economic inequality that keep the masses time-poor and financially insecure; intense marketing of pharmaceuticals that keep people passive; and addictive consumerism, entertainment and gambling that keep people distracted and pacified.

The article appeared on the Information Clearinghouse site. I've discussed this matter before in the "blog," and I am way ahead of the game.

I have long ago discarded the idea of the (s)election process as viable. In addition, I had already come to the conclusion that out so-called "two-party" political system is a farce comprised of the worn out "good cop, bad cop" theme. "First, the real power of the masses is as consumers, not as voters, workers, activists, or Internet users," Hirschhorn asserted. He's right. I have discussed the latter in the "blog" as well. The only way to bring down the moneychangers and powers-that-be is to drastically stop consumer spending. I have already implemented the strategy, but the impact of my non-consumption is nill. Nonetheless, the article is a must read.

Wrong is Right (Yet Again and Again)

Oh, another homeless guy emulation kind-of-a-day has ... awww, you know the drill. Sheesh! I had to drop by the City & County Assessor's Office to change the status of the "condotel" unit's homeowner exemption for property taxes.

Then, I stopped by my local bank to obtain the exact payment amount for the "condotel" unit's maintenance fee. I did my usual workout at the gym. I was 30 minutes ahead of schedule, so I rode an earlier Route 1L bus back to Slob Manor (read: rental housing). I was back in my squalid room by 4:15pm. Have the housemates moved out yet? Baha! Ha! Ha! Haaa! There has been no sign of movement. All of their crap is still lying around all over the place. Not a single item has been packed. Well, I will spend the evening in my squalid room again. Same ol' shit.

Earlier at the library, I completed the reading of the book, "The Price of Empire," by J William Fulbright. The last two chapters really drove home quite a few points. The book is only dated by Fulbright's references to the now-defunct Soviet Union. Otherwise, it could easily be mistaken for a recent book as his discussion is truly relevent for our times.

As to be expected, my investment income has been steadily dwindling down to nothing. The amount stated below includes all IRA accounts. My bond fund has jumped in value, which is why my total liquid assets have seemingly remained stable. I expect the stock market "bubble" to kick in again. I will have to transfer most of my bond fund before then. I've already assumed that the Fed will not allow the Dow Industrial Index to go below the 11,000 level. The stock market "bubble" will continue to bloat until the real estate "bubble" can be resurrected (possibly as early as a year from now given the massive "liquidity" that has been injected into the economy). The economy of empire is driven by debt alone. Debt is wealth. Wrong is right. I also made preliminary calculations for my tax returns using my tax spreadsheet. I will owe $1,341 total for Federal and State taxes. The conversion of the "condotel" unit to a rental unit has been costly. I squandered about $2,000 of personal tax deductions as a result. Slowly, but surely, I am being drained of my savings.

I am rapidly learning that the only way to survive and attain some semblance of freedom is to not incur any debt and not to own anything (especially real estate). The best income level to survive at is one where the standard deduction and exemption credit match it, which is basically the poverty level. Living beyond the latter level only insures enslavement.