How the West was Lost

Another homeless guy emulation kind-of-a-day ... need I say more? The only noteworthy observation was that the gym in town is also replacing its old cardio equipment. Otherwise, there was absolutely nothing to distinguish today from any other homeless guy emulation kind-of-a-day.

I have commenced reading, Baghdad Burning, the "blog" chronicled by Riverbend in its book version at the library. I am comparing some of the anecdotal data with the actual facts as they come to light. I will eventually revert to reading the remainder of Riverbend's "blog" on its archived site. Meanwhile, a flurry of irrelevant media tidbits are appearing in celebration of the fifth year of the Iraq occupation. Sure, there is still a lot of written opposition to both the Iraq and Afghanistan débâcles. However, nothing seems to change. Frankly, I see no one who is overly concerned. "Americans" are still too busy enjoying their superfluous lives, mostly funded on debt. We'll go on until the loans abruptly stop or the oil ceases to flow. It is the latter fact that makes me sick to my stomach and makes me realize how truly alienated I am from society-at-large.

As we all know, the presidential (s)election is of no big concern to the ol' lavahead mainly because of its farcical nature. Yes, there is high probability that the ruling elite are now somewhat divided because of the catastrophic policies of the Shrub regime.

However, there is another likely scenario, one that may suggest that an "evolution" is in progress. With John McCain the apparent Republican party nominee, there may be the likelihood that the ruling elite has changed its strategy. It is my guess that Hillary Clinton (sadly) would be the Democratic party candidate to face-off McCain in equal footing.

The tremendous amount of backing for novice candidate Barack Obama may be a strategy by the ruling elite to split the democratic party along superficial lines either to have Obama edge out Clinton for the party nomination or to eventually weaken Clinton support against McCain in the case that she does secure the nomination. One should keep this dynamic in mind because rarely are the Executive, Congress, and the Senate dominated concurrently by the same party. I am beginning to see the possibility of a McCain victory. For a more interesting perspective, please read the critique, "Hope, Change, and Pissing in the Wind," by Patrice Geanville and Jason Miller on the Cyrano's Journal "blog." An excerpt:

Those who bank on stopping the slide to fascism through a liberal president are deluding themselves, because the American president is powerful ONLY when he’s playing with the consent of most of the ruling class and the institutions it controls. Such personal power deflates rapidly when playing against the values and consensus of the US power elite, at which point a "rogue president" would likely suffer a wave of opposition that would literally bring them down–via impeachment or through a coup orchestrated during a state of tumult created by capital strikes, agents provocateurs, and the media. Not to mention even a military takeover.

Further, we must recall that the slide to fascism is both a witting and unwitting choice by the bourgeoisie in power. The very essence of capitalism is anarchy: anarchy in production, anarchy in distribution and so on. Military precision may rule the day within each business entity, but from the larger societal perspective there is little coordination, only the selfish pursuits of the companies in play. Hence the horrific duplication and waste we see.

Yes, in any case, the bottom line is the same - maintenance of the status quo for the ruling elite.

Slobs of Reckoning

Last night, while I sat around in my squalid room at Slob Manor (read: rental housing) literally going broke as we speak, I wondered what the moneychangers and the powers-that-be are up to. Something just isn't right. Inflation is moving toward hyperinflation. The dollar is dropping like a rock against other currencies. The trade deficit is growing instead of shrinking. I am now drawing on my savings to survive, which has been essentially rendered worthless by inflated dollars. There has been no effort to stave off the crisis of the collapsing real estate "bubble." In fact, the moneychangers are apparently going to ignore the collapse. The Fed is buying up the useless mortgage-backed securities of bankrupt investment banks while feigning a trade of collateral (as though the crap was actually worth something). More and more inflated dollars are being injected into the "system." All hell is breaking loose.

Another visitation day with moms ... unfortunately, my nephew was home. I was still able to give moms a ride to Kuapa Kai to shop at Longs®. Later, moms served hot dogs for lunch, along with fresh vegetables and coffee ice cream for dessert. I departed at noon after spending considerable time chatting with moms. I drove to Koko Head Park and attempted to enjoy the view. However, the gale force winds negated the experience. I did my usual workout at the gym in Koko Marina. Almost all of the cardio machines have been replaced with new equipment. I was impressed. A quick stop at Safeway® and I was on my way back to Slob Manor (read: rental housing).

"One in five people in Hawai'i is considered obese." Not overweight; obese is the term used. That's from the State Health Department's "Hawaii Physical Activity and Nutrition Surveillance Report." Remember when Hawai'i was rated one of the healthiest states in the nation? What a crock of shit! I have reported on numerous occasions about the proliferation of fat slobs here in the islands. Mind you, this is a really serious problem in the islands. Now, if only someone would conduct a realistic study of the cigarette smoking epidemic here.

My Toshiba® Satellite notebook computer is apparently not a viable candidate for the Windows® Vista Service Pack 1 upgrade. The reason? From what I can tell in the "knowledgebase," there is an incompatible Conexant® sound driver. At this time, there is no upgrade for the sound driver. As you may recall, the same sound driver problem prevented me from making the transition to Ubuntu Linux. Very frustrating to say the least.

Blood from a Turnip

I spent the latter part of last night viewing video clips of the "Winter Soldier II" testimony that is available on the IVAW (Iraq Veterans Against the War) site. Not likely to make the so-called "mainstream media," the panel of veterans provided disturbing testimony that all smug "Americans" need to hear and digest.

While I viewed the testimony, dust and dirt were blown about by the gale force winds that were rapidly changing directions. The "wind tunnel" has coated my Toshiba® notebook computer with a thick film of crap. The floor is even worse, now completely covered with bugs and filth.

Another homeless guy emulation kind-of-a-day has been squandered. As I stood in line in Safeway® with my air-filled energy bars and cup of coffee, a stupid Chinaman was in front of me. He was looking closely at the two bottles of salsa sitting on the conveyor belt. He noticed that the contents of one bottle was slightly less than the other. He grabbed the bottle. "I need to replace this," he said. Then, the skinny Chink bumped into me and attempted to push me aside. I calmly said to him, "Watch it! Dumb asshole!" He scurried off into the bowels of the store. The rest of the day was routine. I sat outside near the Korean and Vietnam War Memorial. The gale force winds did nothing to make the experience enjoyable. I spent several hours in the inner courtyard of the library. I completed the reading of the book, "America's Oil Wars," by Stephen Pelletière. The book is a "must read," by the way. Then, I was off the the gym before returning to Slob Manor (read: rental housing).

The Fed changed its mind at the last minute and only cut short-term interest rates by 0.75 percent. Naturally, the stock market had a huge rally. In about two days, disappointment will set in and the stock market will "correct" again. We are only a quarter of a percentage point away from the "war level," that is, the optimum level to finance a full-scale war.

It is my guess that the Fed intends to drop short-term interest rates down to zero percent (i.e., flood the "system" with inflated dollars) within the next two months. As I have hypothesized before, the interest rate window is narrowing. Any future interest rate hikes can never approach five percent ever again. Nor can the duration of the rate hike exceed much longer than three months. When the rate approaches zero percent, it will be kept at that level for at least two years. In fact, I would not be surprised if the rate remains at zero percent for five to ten years (possible germination period for a new yet-to-be-determined "bubble"). What I didn't realize before is that the money is created out of thin air. Therefore, it does not matter what the prevailing interest rate is. The bottom line is that only the rank-and-file peons will suffer the consequences.

Talk to the "Invisible Hand"

Well, the upcoming collapse of the empire's financial infrastructure may be close at hand. The Fed is set to lower short-term interest rates by 0.75 percent this week. I am certain it will be one full percentage point. However, events are moving rapidly as we move to the opening bell on the empire's main stock exchange today.

We are already seeing the beginning of hyperinflation. Petrol prices are rising sharply. And, energy prices will affect all other consumer prices in an upward spiraling fashion. The Fed's action have only been directed at salvaging the corrupt banking and financial sector including the stock market. Little is being done to alleviate the mortgage crisis. In fact, mortgage interest rates continue to rise. Thus, the mortgage defaults and foreclosures will continue unabated. We are already in a full-blown recession. And, short-term interest rates will soon converge at the "war level" of two percent.

Moms and I ended up at Kahala Mall this morning. We made the usual rounds at Longs®. Lunch was courtesy Pearl's Korean Barbeque. Our last stop was at Foodland in Koko Marina. Moms served up coffee ice cream for dessert. Moms was extremely fatigued by 12:30pm, so I departed. I spent about an hour at Koko Head Park. Then, I was off to the gym. Only a cardio workout was required today. One last stop at Safeway® in Kuapa Kai was requisite before my arrival back at Slob Manor (read: rental housing).

The day came and went without incident, at least in terms of the empire's impending financial collapse. In real terms, there's nothing that I can do about the situation. Heck, I am going down with the rest of the slimeballs when the "invisible hand" pulls the plunger (i.e., when the shit hits the fan). There will be no discriminating between the ol' lavahead and some fat slob stuffing his face with Ding Dongs® in front of the tube. I had better burn my downloaded hurdy-gurdy videos onto CDs right away. They will have to last a long time. In the meantime, let's get on with the evening now, shall we? Same ol' shit.

Mental Tribunal

Another homeless guy emulation kind-of-a-Sunday has ...

These "homeless guy emulation kind-of-a-day" days are getting repetitive, aren't they? We're all tired of the same ol' drivel. Yet, it is difficult to simply write, "Same ol' shit," as an entire "blog" entry. Should we just dispense with the "blog" entirely? Not a bad idea, I must admit. However, what would the ol' lavahead do with the additional free time in the evening ? Well, as a compromise, the ol' lavahead will only continue to detail minor deviations from the homeless guy emulation kind-of-a-day. The remainder of the "blog" will be filled with gems of wisdom from the Keeper of Lost Lives himself. Really? No, not really. I'll be commenting on some of the same ol' idiotic topics while we wait for the secular Apocalypse to arrive. I will also be discussing future plans and contingencies since the time for the full exodus is rapidly approaching. There may be a few token pictures of hotties included to lure the amoebic-brained idiots searching for babe images on the Net.

Oh, yes, the homeless guy emulation kind-of-a-day ... pretty much a repeat of last week. The bus ride to town was a nightmare. The bus was 20 minutes late. Thus, the bus was extremely crowded. At one bus stop, the rear exit doors wouldn't open. It had already taken us 45 minutes to get nowhere near town, and the latter incident nearly caused a riot on the bus. Fortunately, one of the passengers near the doors knew the drill. He yanked on the doors while the bus driver restarted the bus. The bus ride back to Slob Manor (read: rental housing) was not better. There were ten 200-plus-pounders sitting in the back of the bus, five of them being Pacific Islanders with multiple gold teeth. To make matters worse, I had to transfer to another bus in Kaimuki with the wait being over 20 minutes. I was back in my squalid room at Slob Manor by 3:45pm.

While in town, I sat in the catacombs of Kukui Plaza and enjoyed my Safeway® brunch (i.e., air-filled energy bars and a cup of coffee). I had a pleasant, yet unpleasant, surprise when I checked my mailbox at the Post Office. Aside from the usual junk mail, Bank of Hawai'i (the mortgage holder of the "condotel" unit) sent me a refund check of $1818 and some change to reduce my property tax escrow account. Yet, the property tax used in the calculation did not make sense. In addition, my monthly mortgage payment has been reduced by $120 or so. I will probably be in for a big surprise later this year. After that, I ended up at the gym. I did my usual Monday workout again, which means that it is now my usual Sunday workout. No hottie gym trainer. No surprise.

Wind Tunnel

Gale force trade winds ruined yet another would-be perfect evening. The winds shift rapidly from the East to the West and vice versa. Slob Manor (read: rental housing) is effectively a wind tunnel in design. The already strong external winds are amplified in the "wind tunnel" causing extremely strong eddy currents in all of the rooms. Crap and dust was flying about in my squalid room even with the louvered windows almost closed completely. The air has been much cooler lately, and the "wind tunnel" only tends to increase the wind chill factor.

For the past week, I have also been plagued by ridiculous dreams which violently stir me from a sound sleep. Subsequently, I must get up and drain the lizard. Last night was no exception. What exactly is the cause? I do not know. Perhaps it is the evil machinations of the Fed. That's enough to make anyone lose a lot of sleep. Sheesh!

I made another attempt to clone the perfect homeless guy emulation kind-of-a-day. Did it work? Well, yeah. Read yesterday's itinerary for details. The only observation worthy of detailing was that a homeless guy was using two of the benches near the Korean and Vietnam War Memorial to sort out his worldly possessions. I sat on the remaining vacant bench. The homeless guy parked a small black-colored bicycle next to the memorial. There were three backpacks, three gym bags, and a satchel all precariously stacked on the small bicycle. All were black. He had one additional gym bag which was the one he was sorting out, also black. He wore black shorts and a black t-shirt with black shoes. After completing my Safeway® brunch (i.e., air-filled energy bars and a cup of coffee), I stood up to walk to the library. I saw a middle-aged couple walking about 30 feet away. The clown pulled his babe (term used loosely) close to him when he saw me stand up. What a maroon! He obviously thought that I was a psychotic homeless guy.

After completing my usual workout at the gym, I was on my way back to Slob Manor on the bus. I arrived safely before 5pm. I piddled around as usual. At 8pm, I actually left the "wind tunnel" (read: my squalid room) and drove my Nissan® Frontier truck to Kuapa Kai. Yes, I had to shop at Longs® and Safeway®. My excuse was that I had to purchase a carton of milk, which was true. Twelve dollars later, I had the milk and then some. I was tempted to purchase some vino, but thought better of it. The way my life has been going, I would have polished off the bottle in no time flat. I returned to Slob Manor sans vino to engage in the same ol' shit in the "wind tunnel" for the rest of the evening. Booyah!

Friday Foolishness

"If I were the president, I could stop terrorist attacks against the United States in a few days. Permanently. I would first apologize — very publicly and very sincerely — to all the widows and the orphans, the impoverished and the tortured, and all the many millions of other victims of American imperialism. I would then announce that America’s global interventions — including the awful bombings — have come to an end. And I would inform Israel that it is no longer the 51st state of the union but — oddly enough — a foreign country. I would then reduce the military budget by at least 90 percent and use the savings to pay reparations to the victims and repair the damage from the many American bombings and invasions. There would be more than enough money. Do you know what one year of the U.S. military budget is equal to? One year. It’s equal to more than $20,000 per hour for every hour since Jesus Christ was born.

That’s what I’d do on my first three days in the White House. On the fourth day, I’d be assassinated." -- William Blum

I was not able to visit with moms today. Both my sister-in-law and her son were home for the day. I was in foul mood for the rest of the day ... a homeless guy emulation kind-of-a-day, that is. I attempted to clone the itinerary of yesterday, but the ambiance was not the same. As I sat on a bench near the Korean and Vietnam War Memorial, sipping my coffee and eating my bagels (my favorite air-filled energy bars were sold out at Safeway®), I suddenly got a whiff of cigarette smoke. One of the State workers was taking a smoke break just a few feet away. I had to move to another bench.

At the library, I was privy to several loud conversations, foot tapping, and assorted cell phone conversations for the first hour that I spent in the inner courtyard. I almost went on a homicidal rampage. I was not really in the mood to go to the gym either. However, that is the only real reason that I end up in town. Fortunately, I was able to accomplish my usual workout without being privy to any stupidity. Later, I rode a crowded bus back to Slob Manor (read: rental housing) and arrived a little after 5pm. The afternoon? Same ol' shit. The evening? The dreaded laundry chores, and the same ol' shit.

Heck, I am no longer certain about the purpose of the "blog." A quick perusal of the Sitemeter statistics reveals that there are three or less readers. All of the other "hits" are morons searching for pictures of hot babes. Thus, I am planning to finally implement the "downsizing" of my Net presence. The less exposure that he has, the better it is for the ol' lavahead.

With each new move by the Fed (i.e., adding more "liquidity"), I find that my e-mail inbox is being proportionately filled with credit, loan, debt reduction, and every other kind of scumbag query. There is something very wrong with the financial "system." Gold prices are soaring, and there's a gold "bubble" forming. Believe me, it's too late and too dangerous to invest in gold now. When the so-called "mainstream" media began to cover the new "gold rush," I became extremely wary. What I find more interesting is that the rank-and-file peons either could care less or have no idea about what is going down. Is the population that controlled?

Completely "Hosed"

Another homeless guy emulation kind-of-a-day has ... aww crap, who cares? Same ol' shit anyway. The day was a gene-spliced clone of yesterdat with the exception that I took some time to restore my monk haircut at the Institute of Hair Design. An Asian guy cut my hair this afternoon. He was very exacting and meticulous. An untrained eye would have suspected that the novice haircutter was unsure of himself. Rather, he carefully crafted a superb monk haircut that did not require any correction by an instructor.

I sat outside by the Korean and Vietnam War Memorial again. I ate the air-filled energy bars and sipped the cup of coffee that I had procured earlier at Safeway®. I attempted to interface with nature, even though the concrete mausoleums of downtown were clearly visible in the near horizon and the annoying sound of the air circulation system for the State Capitol building was ever-present. There is simply no escape from the mess that humanity has created. Little wonder that we have little respect or time for the world of nature. One hour of time perusing the wonders of nature is enough to remind me that life on the planet was not a fluke statistical anomaly. All life forms depend on each other. And, we humans needs those life forms more than they need us. Humans have an uncanny ability to elevate themselves above the rest of creation. However, our foolishness will be the cause of our demise.

Each morning when I wait for the bus, I am privy to observe the endless traffic comprised of myriad 4000-pound motorized chairs (read: automobiles). The unsustainability and idiocy of the "commute" had me wondering. What would I have done if I had been caught in that trap? That is, the trap of the so-called "American Dream." In addition, we've paved over the planet and made superficial ornaments of the wonders of nature.

I had to deal with an abnormal number of rude satanic gargoyles in the course of the day. My thesis on the origins of nouveau rudeness is that the latter is a derivative of driving styles. Yes, the 4000-pound motorized chair is the culprit. The rude satanic gargoyles walk around and act as though they were little 4000-pound motorized chairs themselves. That's also why they act up in public. It's the "road rage" mentality. Why I bother contemplating the ills of those mental midgets is beyond me.

I did my usual workout at the gym before returning to Slob Manor (read: rental housing) on an extremely crowded bus. Same ol' shit. That's right. I need not say anymore about the remainder of the day. The only sad detail to mention is that the Pure T 'n A tracker is down again. This time, it's completed "hosed."

Desperation has hit some of the owners of "condotel" units at the Aloha Surf. Two units are now listed $5,000 below the asking price for my unit, and I am already pricing in a $8,000 loss. Sheesh! The two other units are on the same floor as my unit, which means that those units pretty much break even. I suppose that the owners desire to salvage some portion of their down payments, which is coincidentally my goal.

Ides of March (Reprise)

What kind of day was it? A homeless guy emulation kind-of-a-day, of course! I had purchased enough air-filled energy bars at Safeway® last night to avert a trip to latter this morning. However, during the us ride to town, I reflected on the implications of toying with my "regularity." Thus, I made a special trip to Safeway® just to purchase a cup of coffee. I sipped my coffee as I walked in the direction of the Capitol district.Once there, I sat on one of the benches under a large shade tree adjacent to the Korean and Vietnam War Memorial. Two homeless guys were sleeping under a couple of trees nearby. I have become addicted to being in natural surroundings. There is nothing more satisfying or relaxing.

I ended up in the inner courtyard of the library. Where else can the homeless or the homeless guy emulators go? I perused a few books. Hard as it may be to believe, I spent 3.5 hours there. Then, I was off to the gym. Obviously, the rest of the day was an exact clone of every homeless guy emulation kind-of-a-day. I found myself back in my squalid room at Slob Manor (read: rental housing) by 5pm. Well, we already know that the evening will consist of the same ol' shit. What more can I say?

The dollar continues to plummet against other currencies. We can count on inflation to spiral upwards.

Of course, the Fed is planning another huge short-term interest rate cut. We're getting close to two percent (i.e., the war level). Coincidentally, there has been much more coverage (even in the mainstream press) about the increasing likelihood of an incursion into Iran. Admiral Fallon's alleged "resignation" has fueled the suspicion. Beware the Ides of March!

Liliha Blues

I was on my way to Hawai'i Kai at 8am this morning, with my obligatory coffee stop at Safeway® in Kuapa Kai. Moms had an appointment with the opthamologist at 9:30am in Liliha. The ride was fairly quick. I dropped moms off by the entrance to the building. Then, I had to drive around the destitute streets of Liliha until I could find street parking.

Sitting in the waiting room with all the senior citizens drove home the point about mortality. Almost every doctor's office that moms and I have visited has been full of senior citizens. That's what the retirement life-style consists of. I looked out the one and only pane glass window. I could see parts of the Liliha district. The Liliha 'hood is old and slummy. The streets are extremely narrow and have had to accommodate several generations of population growth. However, Liliha is a large senior citizen community, just like many of the other other older decrepit 'hoods.

About an hour later, moms and I were on our way back to Hawai'i Kai. We stopped off at Koko Marina. Moms did more food shopping at Foodland. We ate plate lunches at Loco Moco Drive-In. My sister-in-law had returned home early from work. So, I simply dropped moms off. The time was about noon, too early to go to the gym. I did not want to ride the bus to town. So, I opted to spend time at Koko Head Park. What a great decision!

The park was nearly empty when I arrived. Only a handful of cars were in the lower parking lot. There were a few tennis players on the courts. About ten guys were playing football on one of the vacant softball fields. I was able to partially park my Nissan® Frontier truck under the shade of a large tree. I sat on one of the picnic tables close by. I was afforded a beautiful view of both Koko Head and Koko Crater. I looked at the wonderful trees. I watched myriad birds feeding and flying around. I took deep breaths of the fresh air. Over an hour passed, and I just didn't want to leave.

I finally drove my truck to Koko Marina. I was able to find shaded parking in the small parking structure. I walked to the gym and did my usual workout. I enjoyed a nice shower. Yesterday, there was no hot water. I dropped my gym bag off in my truck. I walked around Foodland for no apparent reason. I ended up purchasing a small container of Minute Maid® orange juice. I sat outside on one of the benches and took the time to savor every gulp. I made one last stop in Kuapa Kai. I purchased more cans of beans from Longs®. Then, I shopped at Safeway®. We already know the drill.

Well, I was back in squalid room at Slob Manor (read: rental housing) by 4pm. For the most part, I really enjoyed the day.