Meego® Out, Ubuntu In

Last night, I spent all evening attempting to install some kind of working Linux-based operating system (OS) on my Acer® Aspire One netbook computer. I attempted to use the text-based installer for Lubuntu since the graphical installer failed. No dice. I finally installed regular Ubuntu (v10.10 aka "Maverick Meerkat") with the Gnome® desktop. By the way, for both "flavors," there was an initial installation problem because of an error in the Syslinux boot configuration file.

Anyway, the installation went fine after I edited the configuration file. I was amazed at how well Ubuntu "Maverick Meerkat" performed. It was fully functional even with the Compiz compositor running. However, I temporarily disabled it to increase responsiveness. Power management seemed to be operational. And, the hard drive load cycle problem seems to have been cured. What a difference from "Lucid Lynx"!

I did not sleep well last night because I was planning my strategy to optimize my Acer® Aspire One netbook. Foolish, I know. As for the day, nothing new to report. Same ol' shit. I was anxious to return to Slob Manor (read: rental housing) in order to complete the optimization of the netbook.

I have to admit that the Ubuntu installation was the slowest that I have ever experienced. It took well over an hour, and that's still with 256 updates in the queue. I spent most of the evening uninstalling all of the useless applications (e.g., bloated office suite, social networking crap) and installing lightweight applications more suitable to my monk life-style.

HP® WebOS® TouchPad

Well, I am pretty certain that nerd rumor mill was correct in predicting the demise of MeeGo®. It's too little, too late for markets that are saturating quickly. For example, take a gander at the new HP® TouchPad tablet that is coming out in the middle of the year. Netbooks are on the way out. However, I am committed to making the Acer® Aspire One a true replacement for a larger notebook computer. Sheesh!

Lessons of Life

I have not been able to pinpoint the source of my psychological discomfort, although I am still experiencing frequent bouts of sadness and anxiety. My patience has also been at an all-time low. I've also been very tempted to destroy all of my useless possessions with my bare hands. I want to violently tear them apart. I don't know what has come over me, but it feels irreversible. The "inner animal," you think?

I suppose that I am now at a logical point given my path through nihilism, agnosticism, and atheism, all in the time frame of two years no less. I have recorded most of the journey in the "blog." However, I have left out much of the overall anguish. I just couldn't bring myself to delineate upon my misery. Ultimately, the philosophical journey converged with real life. I became acutely aware of human mortality. I have also soberly concluded that we are alone in the universe. Whether we are here by benign creation or evolution, the end result is the same. We know nothing about our origins and the distant past. We have no other entity to rely upon except ourselves. And, there are few absolute truths (refer to the "blog" of July 28th of last year).

I could say that I am in shock, the natural result of discovering that my only moment on the long timeline of the universe is extremely short and nearing its end. Resurrection and reincarnation are the stuff of infantile fantasies. The essence our being, our cognition, is all stored in our brain. Once the brain goes, we're gone without a trace. There is no immortal soul, or a soul that can be restored. My theoretical concept of the "soul" as a "lifeforce" is erroneous. Our consciousness is mortal as well.

The universe is morally neutral. Yet, on earth, humans have attempted to define morality. For example, "civilization" has fine laws to criminalize murder and mayhem. Yet, in sanctioned and contained violence (e.g., war), murder and mayhem are exalted and often sanctified. What are we to make of such blatant hypocrisy?

Typical "Grand Purpose" Hottie

We humans simply do not have a grand purpose whatsoever. We are simply animals with the ability to think a little deeper. Yet, purpose always remains elusive. Frankly, our purpose appears to be bent on destruction. We cannot engage in acts of pure creation. In other words, we cannot create something from nothing (except fiat money). For everything that we create, something else must be destroyed in the process. What is wrong with humanity?

As for the day, can you say, "Same ol' shit"? Incidentally, the nerd rumor mill is predicting the demise of MeeGo® commencing with the Netbook UX. I am not going to wait for the "official" announcement. In fact, there may not be an announcement at all. So, in my fragile mental state, I must now look for another operating system for my Acer® Aspire One. Back to Ubuntu (or one of its derivatives)? Say it ain't so!

Brain Donors

Last night, I enjoyed another evening alone in Slob Manor (read: rental housing). I remained locked in my squalid room until morning. I heard the young hottie Asian babe coming and going. She spent all of 20 minutes in her squalid room. Then, off she went, presumably to the boyfriend's abode. And, with Alan gone to parts unknown, I was assured of not being awakened in the wee hours of the morning with him banging around in the kitchen. I was experiencing a truly unique moment at Slob Manor.

Well, I had spoken too soon. I was rudely awakened by an extremely loud conversation at approximately 3am this morning. A young ho' at the Chinaman house next door had an early morning visit from her BoyToy. The conversation went on for over 30 minutes, surprisingly not in Chinkspeak. Then, the moronic BoyToy drove off in his piece of shit (i.e., "riceboy") with its hollowed-out muffler. The stupid "slope" needs to get a real automobile. If Chinese president Hu Jintao were here, heads would definitely be rolling.

An urban nomad kind-of-a-day? Is there any other kind-of-a-day? Same ol' shit? Yeah, same ol' shit. No details are necessary. I did happen to spot the newly-homeless guy at the library. He spent all of his time piddling around with his Apple® iPhone 4G. He was wearing the same clothes that he wore on Saturday. Nothing wrong with that, I suppose. Heck, I wear the same clothes for exactly a week before changing them. The newly-homeless guy eventually departed, most likely to Chinatown.

Back at Slob Manor, the quiet ambiance this evening was disturbed by the young Asian hottie tenant. Upon arrival at 6:30pm, she kept fiddling with the washing machine for the longest time. All the while, the door to her squalid room kept slamming every five seconds because of the wind. So, why keep opening the door again? I don't think that she figured out how to use the washing machine. Nor could she understand that the door to her squalid room would keep slamming without using a doorstop. The chick may be a hottie, but she's "dumber than a knob." Fortunately, baby finally departed at 8pm. Ah, peace and quiet again.

Incidentally, I read an interesting article on the [deleted] site titled, "One in seven Americans on food stamps." There are 43.6 million of the empire's citizens on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) or "food stamps." There are many more who qualify but have chosen not to participate for a variety of reasons. The most important fact is that, to qualify for the program, a candidate cannot have more $2,000 in assets. In other words, there are over 44 million people with $2,000 or less to their names. Can you imagine a personal net worth of just $2,000? What is one to make of such a tragedy?

Post No. 1,744

Last night, I spent another evening in relative peace and quiet at Slob Manor (read: rental housing), that is, if I discount the horrendous noise of the endless traffic on Kalani'ana'ole Highway. Otherwise, no sign of the other housemates since Friday, thank goodness. The landlord is probably extremely elated since the house is fully rented out, maximum rent is being collected, and the utility bills are dropping down to a minimum because no one is around much. A landlord's paradise, eh?

I continue to follow lockdown procedures once I am back in my squalid room. I rarely leave my self-made prison, for there is nothing outside for me. I am biding my time, downloading more and more hurdy-gurdy videos for my massive collection. Why hurdy-gurdy videos instead of skinnin' up real chicks? From all appearances, I seem to be exercising pure "free will." Therefore, I am voluntarily choosing a more painful path over a more comforting one, which is a usurpation of the natural order. Or, am I?

Upon closer scrutiny, a casual observer would note that my net worth keeps shrinking. As I submerge deeper into poverty, my choices will rapidly disappear. Eventually, I may only be left with one choice, the most painful path. Only foolish optimists would unleash their imagination to hallucinate non-existent options. In addition, I am a misanthrope and social misfit. I wasn't born that way. After decades of having to "bend over and drop the soap" in the empire's perverted "system," I became extremely cynical. I could trust no one. Friendships were hollow and lacked integrity. Even family was suspect. Thus, I had to expedite my exit from society. There was no choice. Stay in, remain a slave, be abused. Get out, find freedom, start anew.

Another visit to Hawai'i Kai went well. Moms and I ate lunch at Panda Express®. My Panda Express® fortune cookie's prediction: "The near future holds a gift of contentment." Fat chance! Later, moms served Welcome® vanilla ice cream for dessert. The rest of the day? The urban nomad fulfilled his usual benign functions and followed his routine itinerary as planned. By the way, moms is turning 89 years of age tomorrow.

I was in what seemed to be a catatonic state all day. I felt fatigued, and also sad. I cannot explain the sadness. And, I certainly did not feel as though I had any semblance of "free will." I was even approached by two people who were interested in purchasing my Nissan® Frontier truck. I was so "out of it" that I couldn't really even answer the simplest questions. I definitely forgot about the "For Sale" sign that is still displayed in the rear window of the truck. What a maroon!

When I returned to Slob Manor late this afternoon, I observed the landlord and the pest control guy outside. The pest control guy was spraying insecticide around the house. Even the landlord knows that the ant situation is out of control. I was able to secure a couple of "professional" ant traps from the pest control guy for use in my squalid room. The latter should prove far more effective than squishing each sugar ant's tiny head with a filthy rag. Sheesh!

"Free Will" Foolery

Last night, I was the sole person in the whole of Slob Manor (read: rental housing), excluding the attached studio and the landlord's place in the back. I had no idea where anybody was, and neither did I care. Peace and quiet, that's my only concern. The Chinaman house next door was also suspiciously silent. The raucous party did not end until sunrise, so the brain donors were probably still sleeping. Where is Chinese president Hu Jintao when we urgently need him?

Another urban nomad kind-of-a-Sunday was highlighted by short glimpse of the hottie gym trainer. Unfortunately, the day was marred by an asshole. Not a sphincter per se, but an older haole clown who walked right in front of me, even bumping into me, while I stood in line to board the bus after my workout at the gym. The moron said nothing and walked on. I politely called him a variety of names laced with expletives to wake him up from his stupor. He turned around just as I boarded the bus. The local guy who was standing behind me was the recipient of some sassy backtalk from the fool. Had I heard any of that crap, I would have bumrushed the loser. Even the local guy was amazed at the brazen rudeness of the asswipe. He thought the shithead was a tourist. I knew otherwise, since I had just seen the fucktard at the gym. The faggot was working out with five-pound weights. He must have felt "pumped up." Yeah, the asshole and I may be on a collision course with fate, if I can help it.

The elder gym faggot was probably trying to exercise "free will" by pushing his way through a line of people rather than walking to the side. However, "free will" could easily be usurped by a massive head concussion or by severe abrasions and contusions about the face and scalp. Do we humans really have "free will"? According to Arthur Blech, author of "Toward a New Civilization," the answer is a resounding negative. I can understand Blech's point. After all, we cannot exercise "free will" over our biological functions. We must eat and sleep, for example. Blech also asserted that humans will not consciously choose a more painful path over a less painful one, essentially an axiom of the natural order. "Free will" would allow us to choose either option without prejudice. Thus, if we do possess "free will," it is limited in scope.

The belief in "free will" has led humans down the road of schizophrenic delusion, self-aggrandizement, and sheer arrogance. Idiotic religions were concocted, foolish philosophies were developed, questionable moral and ethical standards were codified, and "dominion" over other creatures with allegedly no capacity for "free will" was established. What really can be said about the tragic comedy of humanity?

Chinatown

I was rudely awakened at 4am this morning by another raucous party at the Chinaman house next door to Slob Manor (read: rental housing). I'm actually not even sure how I had slept until then since the party had been going on from the early evening. The loudest fool, of course, was the same Chinaman who was drunk and singing at the top his lungs in Chinkspeak just a few parties ago. What would Chinese president Hu Jintau think about those shiftless losers?

Typical Chinatown Hottie

At the library, I sat in the inner courtyard as usual. A newly-homeless guy was sitting at a table just a few feet away. The homeless guy was talking on his cell phone to his mother. Judging from his accent, he is probably from the South on the mainland. He lamented that he only had $3.61 in his pocket, and he couldn't even purchase a pack of cigarettes. All he had to his name was his small, tattered backpack, the clothes on his back, whatever is in a storage locker at an undisclosed location, and his Apple® iPhone 4G. Everything else was in a recently stolen backpack. I noticed that his feet were swollen, possibly diseased, a common affliction amongst the homeless. "I'm losing my motivation," he said. "I don't think I'm going to last a year like this." I was not sensing that his mother was willing to assist him beyond a few platitudes. "My problem is spiritual, not psychological," he added. The conversation went on for a while. He was apparently heading to Chinatown shortly afterward because "that is the only place the police don't hassle the homeless." Before ending the conversation, he said that he was going outside to "bum off a cigarette."

When I walked outside a few minutes later to eat my lunch in the coconut tree grove in the Capitol district, I observed the same homeless guy sitting with a few other guys in the unofficial smoking area. Apparently, he found a benevolent soul to donate a cigarette to him. As I settled under a coconut tree, I saw the homeless guy walking off toward Chinatown. The rest of the day? Same ol' shit.

Net Worth(less)

I was rudely awakened by Alan at 2am this morning. He noisily made something to eat, all the while slamming things around in the kitchen. He was also coughing and hacking nearly non-stop. He believes that he is suffering from an allergic reaction to vog. However, there is no vog. The sky has been clear for at least a couple of months. Alan is probably suffering from a chronic respiratory illness. He runs a little side business in which he produces marble plaques with gold-leafed detailing. He utilizes a variety of toxic chemicals, oftentimes doing the work in his squalid room with all of the windows closed. I surmise that vog is the least of his worries.

Another visit to Hawai'i Kai went well. Moms and I ate lunch at Zippy's. Later, moms served Foremost® vanilla ice cream for dessert. The rest of the day? The urban nomad fulfilled his usual benign functions and followed his routine itinerary as planned.

Moms mentioned that my sister-in-law has already submitted her resignation to the law firm that she's employed with, effective at the end of the month. She has not secured another position elsewhere. And, the caretaker option has not panned out. Can my bro's family survive on one income? Is that why my bro appears to always be stressed out?

When I arrived back at Slob Manor (read: rental housing), I noticed that the new upstairs tenant was finally moving stuff in. I helped him move his new widescreen LCD tube upstairs. For that, he rewarded me with a brewski. I was pleased. Turns out, he's renting the entire second floor. The guy appears to have a lot of money. He's a local boy and seems to be personable. The landlord had mentioned that he is not a wage slave. Will he share the secrets of his wealth? As for the young Asian hottie tenant, she has only been around a total of three minutes since I first saw her. The situation at Slob Manor could be finally be tolerable.

Here is an interesting excerpted quote from Thomas Stanley, author of the book, "The Millionaire Next Door":

The average net worth of an American household is $434,782. However, there is a major problem with this wealth figure. When it comes to expressing the net worth/wealth of a household the average figure is very misleading.

The median measure of household net worth paints a much more accurate picture of the character of wealth in America than does the average. Today the median net worth of an American household is $91,304.

Most American households are nowhere near being financially independent. Nor will most be able to retire in comfort. Yet there is more bad news. What if the equity in homes and motor vehicles is factored out of the median net worth figure? Then the median figure is about $34,000 or about 2/3 of the annual median income generated by a typical American household today.

The median figure is much more realistic because it is not skewed higher by mega-income families (i.e., the ruling class).

Well, I have yet to complete my own annual net worth summary (not available). I only have a couple more figures to enter in the basic spreadsheet. However, in my fragile mental state, simple tasks have become a nightmare. Sheesh! The final product could be uploaded as early as this evening, though.

Dreams of World Peace

This morning, as I sat on a concrete bench at the Ala Moana Center mauka bus stop with a cup of coffee in hand, I observed a crazed ho' walking around and talking aloud. The ho', who was probably close to my age, was wearing a skimpy outfit more suitable for a young hottie. An extremely large gut was protruding from the exposed midriff. As to be expected, the ho' stopped to chat with me. The ho' told me that she was reading the Bible (i.e., Unholy Scriptures), and also informed me that there were perverts lurking in restroom stalls in the mall. I just kept nodding my head, saying nothing. Just another day in the life of the urban nomad. Other details of the day are redundant and moot.

I have been observing hella people carrying around copies of the Unholy Scriptures. The observation is always the same. The Unholy Scriptures is opened to a particular page somewhere around the middle of the voluminous work. A passage is read. Then, countless pages are shuffled. A look of astonishment engulfs the reader's face. Surely, none of them has ever read the entire work. It's too daunting. The print is too small. And, let's face it, the content is boring (and entirely fabricated). Yet, they are believers. That's why they carry the Unholy Scriptures with them. They carry the message of peace, or so they believe.

Can there really be peace in the entire world? When I say, "peace," I can only be alluding to a state as perceived by humans alone. In my younger days, I was inclined to be pacifistic and Utopian. Perhaps that is why I was almost hoodwinked by religious mumbo-jumbo. In my quasi-enlightened state, I can safely say that world peace will never come to fruition. If it theoretically happened, then humanity would accelerate very quickly to its demise through natural attrition. Obviously, natural attrition is accompanied by intense pain and suffering. Peace would quickly give way to violent discord anyway.

The concept of peace is part and parcel to the failed "civilization" paradigm. "Civilization" was supposed to tame the savage beasts. It was supposed to bring an end to senseless human violence and convert that useless energy to more constructive purposes. Yet, "civilization," or "Western civilization," is heavily based upon the extremely flawed philosophy of the Yahweh Triad (i.e., Judaism, Pauline-Christianity, and Islam). Yes, believe it or not, Islam is a "Western" religion. Historically, the Middle East is really a part of the "West," just like Europe. Heck, the Roman Empire once subsumed the region. The "East" is India, China, and beyond.

The "inner animal" itself is not peaceful. The innate "aggression" (as pundits call it) and the propensity for violence is part of the survival mechanism of humans. I am not speaking of Darwinian evolution or Social Darwinism. The "inner animal" is prepared to commit mass genocide whenever human population outstrips available resources. Humans become their own predators by necessity to stave off the horrifying effects of natural attrition. Thus, world peace is an entirely elusive dream.

Mayhem or Attrition?

My Nissan® Frontier truck and I were on our way to Hawai'i Kai at 7:50am this morning. On Monday, moms had mentioned that she and my sister-in-law were going to attend the neighbor's funeral on Friday. I was concerned that moms may not have realized that there could be a conflict with my usual visit. Turns out, the funeral is scheduled for Friday evening.

At 9am, I drove my truck to Koko Marina and found shaded parking. I rode the bus town and performed the urban nomad ritual. The highlight of the day was the restoration of my extreme monk haircut at the Institute of Hair Design. After my usual workout at the gym, I was on my way back to Koko Marina. A quick jaunt through Foodland, and then I was magically transported back to Slob Manor (read: rental housing). Really? No, not really.

I have become more and more "disconnected" from society-at-large. Each day poses new problems for me, as I have become obstinate about cooperating with any framework associated with the so-called "mainstream." Checking my mail box, voicemail, and e-mail have become tedious tasks. Paying bills and the mortgage on the detestable "condotel" unit is at a painful peak. I look forward to the day that that I can "wash my hands" of everything and say, "That's it, I'm through."

I have been trying to put myself into a meditative frame of mind with little success. I have been too preoccupied with the dreadful concept of mortality and other intriguing mysteries of the universe. I have also been trying to deconstruct "civilization" to probe the essence of human existence.

Well, so far, the results have been disturbing. Humans are just another species of animal. We followed the natural order (i.e., Nature) until the advent of the failed "civilization" paradigm. Once we moved from "savages" (i.e., "howling barbarians") to "civilized" humans, our numbers increased dramatically. The "inner animal" methodology to prune overpopulation was replaced by supposedly contained institutions of violence (e.g., wars, mass genocide). Unfortunately, increased technology has resulted in weaponry that can cause near mass extinction of all species of life on the planet. The ruling class is afraid to deploy such weaponry because there is a good chance that they may inadvertently destroy themselves as well. It is not out of the goodness of their hearts that we have not seen any large-scale nuclear conflagrations.

The failed "civilization" paradigm will continue to run its course. We have already exceeded the carrying capacity of the planet. Our survival is dependent on artificial means in order to defy the natural order. Sooner or later, we won't be able to "squeeze blood out of a turnip" anymore. We will run out of food and clean water. Natural attrition will take over to accomplish what we could not do.

Would we have been better off if we remained "savages"? Obviously, our "quality of life" would be significantly lower. We would function more like the other animals. There would be little time for introspection and the development of "self." We would live shorter, healthier lives as opposed to longer, unhealthy ones. There would still be wars, feuds, genocide, maiming, and killing, only on a smaller scale. Yes, the "inner animal" will remain intact below the surface no matter what, waiting for the opportune moment to rise to the occasion.

Disrupting the Natural Order

This morning, as I walked to the bus stop located across from Kawaikui Beach Park, I noticed a bird lying on the sidewalk. A clump of dung was sitting right next to it. The bird was clearly deceased. Since the carcass was intact, I assumed that it was not the victim of a predator. I looked up and noticed that there were tree branches right above. The bird probably keeled over from natural causes while perched in the tree.

I have learned a lot from birds (since there is a conspicuous absence of other wild creatures). I am privy to have hundreds of them keep me company during my lunch in the coconut tree grove in the Capitol district. Of course, the lack of predators (i.e., wild animals) means that there is an overpopulation of birds in the islands. Nonetheless, I spend most of my lunch time observing the birds.

Typical "Free Will" Hottie

Even with their little pea-sized brains, our feathered friends display distinct personalities and some degree of free will. An example of the latter is when I see myna birds running for an extremely long distance as opposed to simply flying to their destination. The birds have clearly made a decision, which means they are not acting on instinct alone.

One day a while back at a bus stop on Waialae Avenue, I observed a group of pigeons feasting on a scraps of pizza that someone had left. Out of the seven birds, there was only one dominant personality amongst them. The "bully" pigeon kept waddling to each and every scrap and pecked at the heads of the other birds in order to chase them off. The other birds displayed subservient behavior and did not fight back. The "bully" pigeon, however, spent more time chasing off the other birds (they kept coming back) than eating. Obviously, there is meaning to the phrase, "pecking order."

Humans love to revel in self-"exceptionalism." Such foolish thinking is what led to faulty paradigms as "dominion." Unfortunately, non-human creatures possess some very similar traits to humans. There clearly isn't as large a rift between humans and other creatures as we'd like to imagine.

As I mentioned previously, birds are severely overpopulated in Hawai'i. The balance of the natural order (i.e., Nature) has been disrupted by human infiltration. No creature on the planet appears to have a self-regulating mechanism for population control. Only an intact food chain insures that balance is preserved. The same can be said of humans. However, there are no animal predators stalking humans in sufficient numbers to keep human population growth in check.

Only humans can control their population. However, the urge to do da wild thing is so strong that control becomes moot. The "inner animal," which has been forcefully suppressed by the "civilization" paradigm, holds the key. Human violence, perpetrated against other humans through "cleansing" pogroms (e.g., wars, mass genocide), is the only effective mechanism for human population control next to attrition and natural disasters. Human history and prehistory is marked by endless violence and genocide. The latter is no anomaly. It is human nature, the natural order. The failed "civilization" paradigm offered up a moral dimension to what is a natural human control mechanism for overpopulation. By declaring human life to be "sacred," the natural order was disturbed. Surely, humans could curb their population voluntarily and peacefully? No, there's no way to muzzle the Vienna Sausage. Baha! Ha! Ha! Haaa!

Back at Slob Manor (read: rental housing), the new tenants have both moved in. The chick tenant is a young Asian hottie. When I say "young," I mean early twenties. When I say, "hottie," I mean a real hottie. She could easily be a centerfold babe. I don't expect her to last more than a month or so. How can a young hottie reside in the same dump with three unattractive slobs in their late fifties? We must look like "dirty old men" to her. It's an obvious tectonic fault line in the natural order. If I was her boyfriend, I would be significantly spooked to move her out of the perverted Slob Manor as fast as possible. Let's hope that he comes to his senses real soon.