Three Steps Left

Another homeless guy emulation kind-of-a-day has been uninstalled from the "system." We all know the drill. I saw Anne on the bus this morning. She will commence working at law firm in town tomorrow. The highlight of my day was when I crossed paths with the hottie gym trainer as baby was walking to work at 4pm. Baby is so gorgeous. As usual, I had to ride on a very crowded bus back to Slob Manor (read: rental housing). I was back in my squalid room by 5pm. I won't be going anywhere for the evening. I am satisified with ... the same ol' shit. Sadly, Spankwire has become rather boring because of the recent marginal uploads.

As each day passes, I become more uncertain about my future. I have no desire to return to wage slavery, not because of laziness, but because I fear my return to the "system." I cannot afford to be swept up by the vortex of the epidemic of the "seven sins." With that in mind, I have painstakingly disassociated myself from former colleagues, former friends, and former acquaintances. I remain aloof in the minimal social interactions that I encounter. I continue to divest anything, anyone, everything, and everyone that could present an impediment to the exodus. I have to come to view all aspects of culture as small tumors, ready and willing to spread and become malignant. The culture of the "system" and, hence, the culture of empire are poisonous and intoxicating. I have no choice but to quarantine myself and discard anything that could bring about an "infection." My fear is causing me great consternation. I have no idea where I will end up in the future. Where will I go? Whom can I trust? I have no answers.

Well, the Slob Manor housemates have bellowed fo the past month about moving out, but so far only Jay has followed through. This is the last day of January, and there is no sign that Pete, Tobin, or Sushant are moving out tomorrow. The boys were blowin' smoke up their own asses. Too much testosterone, shit for brains. Let's see what happens next, eh?

Well, the Fed rate cut sure did its magic, didn't it? Aside from devaluing the dollar, it caused the stock market to rally. Why is the stock market rallying? Why, because mortgage interest rates have gone up! That means more and more problems from the constantly evolving real estate "bubble" will be spewing forth.

More bad economic news is also on the way, so expect the Fed to pull another huge "emergency" rate cut. I would not be surprised to see a one percent cut in February. Then, watch out because the war on some unsuspecting pitiful nation will commence. Will it be Iran? Pakistan? Syria? It really doesn't matter. There just has to be another war comin' soon.

Goosestepping to Hades

I departed for Hawai'i Kai at 8:30am this morning, making the obligatory coffee stop at Safeway® in Kuapa Kai. Moms was home when I arrived. Lori stopped by at 10am to drop some paperwork off for me. I gave her my last two (non-hurdy-gurdy) DVDs as part of my on-going divestiture of useless possessions. Lori chatted with moms and I for a while. After she left, I drove moms down to Koko Marina to shop at Foodland and also to pick up some chili from Zippy's. Moms served hot dogs for lunch along with fresh vegetables, ahi poke, Zippy's chili, and rice. What a feast!

I chatted with moms briefly after lunch. I was on my to the Hawai'i Kai Park 'n Ride at 12:45pm. Once there, I had second thoughts about going to town. As the bus approached the bus stop, I walked back to retrieve my Nissan® Frontier truck. I drove back to Koko Marina, but I ended up parking across the street adjacent to the library. I spent a few minutes in the library perusing an old issue of Surfer magazine. Then, I walked to the gym at 2pm. I did my usual workout.

Sparing the senseless details, I ended up at Foodland looking for something to eat later in the evening. Nada. So, I drove to Safeway® and settled for a couple of Tina's® burritos. I was back in my squalid room at Slob Manor (read: rental housing) by 4pm. Well, I have no plans to go anywhere. The evening will follow the usual ritual ... same ol' shit.

As to be expected, the Fed lowered the short-term interest rates by half percent. We are now one percent away from the "war level." If the Fed makes another "emergency" rate cut, which I believe it will, the short-term interest rate will be at two percent within two months (circa March 2008¹). I heard the news on NPR as I was driving back to Slob Manor. I listened carefully to the details. The various "pundits" were discussing how the rate cuts will save the economy. All they kept mentioning, though, were cheap loans as the answer to all our problems. Yes, as we have known for some time, NPR is comprised of the typical shills for the moneychangers and the powers-that-be. They are all goosestepping to hades, and they want us to join them.

I cannot reiterate enough that the US economy is primarily divided between consumer spending (72+ percent of GDP) and "defense" spending (25 percent of GDP). If consumer spending cannot continue to increase exponentially, then that sector will collapse. The methods of "creative" financing (i.e., similar to the dubious loan practices that fueled the so-called "housing bubble") must return in order to allow endless increases in debt. There's already a credit card "bubble" evolving, but that is not going to last long. Most likely, the immediate future will see the rise of huge lines of revolving personal credit and debt consolidation. Yet, how high can it go? Will the average rank-and-file peon be given access to a million dollars in credit without documentation? That only leaves the remaining sector of the economy, basically the "war machine." That's why the empire will not be leaving Iraq and Afghanistan anytime soon. In fact, the only way that the sector can increase profitability and keep the empire's economy afloat is to initiate more long-term conflagrations. Without the Cold War, there are no other options.

¹Coincidentally, March 20, 2003 is the day that the Iraq incursion commenced. Short-term interest rates were at two percent.

Hellfire of the Vanities

Another incredibly cold night has passed. The wind, still at gale force, increased the chill factor. Is this still Hawai'i? Are we experiencing extreme global climate change? Although I continue to wear my boardshorts, T-shirt, and slippahs (read: slippers), everyone else is wearing mainland-style Winter garb. I've seen a few clowns dressed as if there was a foot of snow on the ground. Incidentally, I sleep in a sleeping bag rated for sub-zero temperature, but I am still chilled to the bone. Only the hottie gym trainer could warm things up, if you know what I mean. Baha! Ha! Ha! Haaa!

Spankwire has been completely congested for days. It is as if millions of "cheap fucks" discovered the site as the same time that the ol' lavahead did. Are there that many losers chokin' da chicken every night? Sheesh!

Another homeless guy emulation kind-of-a-day has spit in the face of the present. As the bus that I was riding approached town, the weather became more extreme. I was able to navigate my usual itinerary in between downpours. Global climate change, anyone? Sadly, Safeway® was completely out of coffee cups. Not only was I chilled to the bone, I had no caffeine boost. I rode the bus to the Capitol district after I waited out another downpour in the catacombs of Kukui Plaza. I spent an hour or so in the library. I was able to walk to the gym at 12:30pm between downpours. I dropped my gym bag off and dashed off to the Institute of Hair Design to restore my monk haircut.

I was back in the gym at 2pm. Justin, the former Diploma Mill student who will soon be a personal trainer, offered to do a quick body fat analysis on me as part of his training. I have 15 percent (possibly less) body fat. Not bad. He said that he could do a more complex analysis later. I did my usual workout. On my way out, I chatted with Justin again. Sadly, I did not see the hottie gym trainer on the way to the bus stop. Where was baby?

I was back in my squalid room at Slob Manor (read: rental housing) by 5pm. I performed the dreaded laundry chores. I ate my usual dinner comprising of beans and bread. I then cleaned my squalid room with my humble dustpan and brush. Yes, I have not retired my humble dustpan and brush. In fact, because Slob Manor is such a dump, I must clean my squalid room daily. The evening? Same ol' shit.

Elevation

I could not stop thinking about the hottie gym trainer all night. Of course, baby is such a hottie that one glimpse of her beauty will permanently etch her image in the mind. Then, there's the Vienna Sausage. What I really believe is happening, though, is that the mind tends to revert to primal desires when under extreme duress. In my case, I am on the verge of financial collapse. I have little in the way of options except to return to wage slavery.

I drove to Hawai'i Kai this morning at 8:30am, making the obligatory coffee stop at Safeway® in Kuapa Kai. Moms was home when I arrived. Moms finished up a few chores while I used my trusty pumice stone to grind down the thick calloused tissue on my feet. Moms and I drove to Kuapa Kai so that moms could shop at Longs®. I was not in the best of moods, most likely because of the earlier extended preponderance of the hottie gym trainer. Thus, I was not easily amused as I watched the myriad senior citizens in Longs® roving about in circles and bumping into each other with moms in the fray as well. Moms also brought up Uncle Tosh's funeral, which is something I do not care to discuss. For some reason, senior citizens seem preoccupied with funerals and obituary notices.

Moms wanted to eat lunch at a Korean barbeque eatery in the Hawai'i Kai Towne Center. We first walked to the local farmer's market so that moms could purchase fresh fruit. When we searched for the eatery, we found only a vacant storefront. So, we ended up at Panda Express®. Lunch was delicious. I chatted with moms until 12:45pm. I drove to the Hawai'i Kai Park 'n Ride.

I rode the Route 1L bus to town. I arrived at the usual time for my gym workout. I ran into Justin, the former Diploma Mill student who is training to be a gym trainer. He gave me the list of training programs and costs. Yikes! The training programs are not cheap. Apparently, "certified" gym trainers can earn up to 25 percent of the fees in addition to an hourly wage. The hottie gym trainer must make a decent amount of dough for working just part time. I did my usual workout.

When I exited the gym, I observed a sudden downpour had come and gone. The sky was overcast and the ground was completely drenched. I waited at the bus stop across the street from the gym in order to ride the express bus back to Hawai'i Kai. When the bus finally arrived, I saw mark in line as well. He sat next tome during the ride. We were able to catch up on what's been happening with our respective lives. Mark is now working at the State Law Library. He also bought a new Saturn® Ion last year. It was nice to chat with him. I'll probably see him again when I next ride the express bus.

I retrieved my truck and returned to Safeway® in Kuapa Kai to purchase two Tina's® burritos for dinner and a couple of air-filled energy bars for dessert. I'm not sure why I'm livin' large when I am going broke (thanks to the Fed). I drove back to Slob Manor (read: rental housing) and was back in my squalid room by 5:30pm. As to be expected, I will be staying in again for the entire evening. Same ol' shit.

I did not view Shrub's State of the Onion address. Why bother? Same ol' shit. Lies, and more lies. More rhetoric. More chimpanzee baboonery. Is Shrub ready to fade into the woodwork and become a Spankwire junkie after his term is complete. Sure looks that way, doesn't it? However, I am not yet ready to dismiss the possibility for martial law and a police state.

The Fed will meet tomorrow to slash short-term interest rates by half-percent at its regular meeting. Only evil is a force powerful enough to fuel the "system" and the juggernaut empire behind it.

Doom Revisited

Did you spend all night on Spankwire again? Yes, Sitemeter tracks browser outclicks. So far, all three readers of the "blog" have been visiting Spankwire frequently. Who needs babes when there's Spankwire? Baha! Ha! Ha! Haaa!

Another homeless guy emulation kind-of-a-day has gone nowhere and back. I did my usual Sunday workout at the gym. I did not see the hottie gym trainer until I was almost done with the cardio portion of my workout. Baby was busy working with a gym member. Later, as I walking to the front entrance, baby magically appeared from the training office right before my very eyes. As baby walked past me, I noticed how gorgeous she is. I experienced an immediate testosterone surge. My mind was ready to snap. I rode an extremely crowded bus back to Slob Manor (read: rental housing). I was back in my squalid room by 3:15pm.

I received the monthly rental summary for the "condotel" unit. Once again, it was occupied 26 out of 31 days. However, it made more money than the previous month. I received only the token "guaranteed" minimum less the renovation fee. The net amount was $730 and some change. There is now a residual of $500 that is still owed to me. Of course, the latest news according to the Advertiser is that the tourism industry is declining rapidly. Hawai'i is already in a recession. The outlook for the year in tourism looks very bleak. I am now wondering whether the "condotel" unit will have any income at all this year. If that's the case, I am doomed.

I spent a couple of hours editing my tax spreadsheet to incorporate Schedule E (for rental income or loss). From what I can tell, I will always be operating at a loss insofar as the "condotel" unit is concerned. However, I will not be able to deduct the losses thanks to the IRS rules concerning "passive" rental activity. What a damned mess!

I am becoming quite despondent about the upcoming financial chaos. From all indications, the US is in a recession that may finally collapse completely into a full-blown depression. There's not much left to prop up except the casino stock market. That's the only so-called "bubble" left. With the collapse of the real estate "bubble," the consumerist economy is slated for big trouble. About 75 percent of GDP is consumer spending. Since the US no longer manufactures any consumer products, the associated business and employment activities only involve the marketing and distribution of products made overseas. Once consumer spending drops, the game is over. The domino effect will ripple through the economy by increasing unemployment. The latter will reduce consumer spending even further. The spiral downward will only increase in momentum. Increasing debt through cheaper and longer loans may buy some time. Yet, the collapse of the real estate "bubble" has more nefarious implications. Property tax revenues will decrease sharply. State and municipal governments will begin cutting services, but they will eventually go bankrupt. Several banking institutions are in deep trouble, but we will not find out until after-the-fact. The last hold-out of savers like the ol' lavahead will be sweep into the vortex this time around when the interest rates go to zero percent. More tax cuts for the elite class are already in the works, so we can expect another huge transfer of wealth from the poor class to the elite class.

If you read Gary North's article that I cited yesterday, then you will be keenly aware of how the Asian markets are umbilically connected to the US economy. Sure, there's the false hope that such an umbilical connection will force Japan and China to keep financing the empire. However, how does that money filter down to the rank-and-file masses, the consumers who keep the damned merry-go-round going by spending well beyond their means? The "economic stimulus" package proposed by the Shrub administration is a feeble attempt to give money away to fuel more consumer spending. Yet, how far will a few hundred inflated dollars go?

Well, I am not even in the mood for Spankwire. The wind is still blowing at gale force. The air is extremely cold as well. Even sitting in my squalid room on the second floor of Slob Manor makes no difference. Too bad the hottie gym trainer won't come around, eh?

Prophesy & Demise

Another homeless guy emulation kind-of-a-day has spanked da monkey. We know the drill. I have been reading the book, "The Price of Empire," authored by J William Fulbright at the library. The book was published over 20 years ago, but it appears to have been somewhat prophetic. I am uncovering more and more evidence that prognostications of our current demise were readily available many moons ago. I did my usual workout at the gym. Then, I rode the bus with assorted barbarians back to Slob Manor (read: rental housing). I had thought of making the jaunt to Kahala Mall this evening for old times' sake. Then, I asked myself, "Why?" The wind outside is at gale force, and the temperatures have been subtropical to say the least. I'm better off staying in my squalid room and enjoying another night of non-stop Spankwire fun. Same ol' shit. Sheesh!

I've done nothing else for weeks. I have no idea when I have to file the GET return for the "condotel" unit. I am now three months behind in filing to change the property tax status of the "condotel" unit as well. I have also done nothing with my personal tax returns. Nor have made my IRA contribution for last year. What am I doing? Chokin' da chicken?

The whole money "system" is a joke. The rank-and-file peons are going to be left holding the bag as it were. Gary North analyzed the machinations behind the scenes last week when the stock market gyrated like a Vaseline®-soaked hand moving up and down on a "tube steak" (read: Vienna Sausage) in an article that appeared on the Information Clearinghouse site. An excerpt:

Let me summarize. A bureaucrat in charge of regulating MBIA calls in New York bankers to discuss a bail-out totalling (initially) $15 billion. There are no specifics announced. This is only a preliminary discussion. Result: the Dow rises almost 600 points in the afternoon.

Wait until you read the rest of the article. You may go ballistic! Incidentally, North's analysis of the "connection" with the Asian markets is not new. Few of the rank-and-file truly understand its history. Often, the blame has been cast upon the "crafty" Asians. Chalmers Johnson exposed those fallacies in his book, "Blowback," which details how the US had essentially set up preferential economies in Asia as part of its "containment" policy after World War II. Yes, it all keeps going back to the Cold War.

Nonsense

I have become completely demoralized. I can no longer sleep at night. My mood has been bordering on melancholia, but general apathy is perhaps more fitting. In all honesty, I am ready to "throw in the towel." The moneychangers and the powers-that-be have won, thanks to that fudgepacker Ben Bernanke and the Fed. I don't even feel like composing the "blog" anymore. Sheesh!

I drove to Hawai'i Kai at 9am this morning, making my obligatory coffee stop at Safeway® in Kuapa Kai. Moms was home when I arrived. The only item on the agenda was grocery shopping at Foodland in Koko Marina. Moms served leftover Curry Stew for lunch along with other goodies. I chatted with moms briefly before driving to the Hawai'i Kai Park 'n Ride. I rode the bus to town, did my usual workout at the gym, and rode the Route 82 express bus back to the Hawai'i Kai Park 'n Ride.

I made another stop at Safeway® in Kuapa Kai to purchase a carton of milk, a couple of apples, and two Tina's® burritos. I was back in my squalid room at Slob Manor (read: rental housing) by 5pm. Guess what I ate for dinner? Yum! So, it's Friday night and I am in my squalid room Spankwire. Same ol' shit.

In retrospect, my day was one of severe disconnection with my surroundings. I tried to make sense of the life-style known as the "American Dream." Aside from engaging in wage slavery, driving around in gas-guzzling 4000-pound motorized chairs, yapping on cell phones, going on endless shopping sprees, and watching hours of crap on the tube, there is not much except that comprises the "Dream." Well, there are also parties with lots of cheap booze, hot chicks, and the like. However, it is all superficial and unsustainable. Sometimes I try to rationalize some kind of sense, but it all comes out to nonsense. Often, I find myself falling prey to the snare. I quickly snap out of it, though. I know that, for me, it's not real. The "Dream" requires big money. In addition, although I am tempted by shiny objects and hot chicks, my desire for freedom is even greater. Hence, I must soldier on to the exodus, no matter what it takes.

Way to Go!

Another homeless guy emulation kind-of-a-day has been ground down to a stump. We know the drill. Sadly, I did not see the hottie gym trainer today. However, I chatted with Justin, my former Diploma Mill student who will soon become a gym trainer. There were at least four other gym trainers on duty while I was at the gym. Why is there an over-saturation of gym trainers? Is that why the hottie gym trainer has been scheduled to off-peak hours?

I was back in my squalid room at the Slob Manor (read: rental housing) by 5pm. Well, we know what's left for the rest of the day. Same ol' shit (i.e., another night of Spankwire). What more can a financially broke loser do?

Well, life has returned to normal, eh? Everyone is praising Bernanke for saving the world (of and for the rich). The stock market is climbing to even more artificial highs. And, my dividend income has been cut in half. I have run out of contingency plans. Once again, I was blindsided three months earlier than expected. In reading many of the alternative news sources, I am almost assured that the Fed will have at least two more unscheduled "emergency" rates cuts of the same magnitude and 0.5 percent rate cuts at the regular six-week meeting intervals. We should approach the "war level" of two percent in May. Why do I keep discussing war when all of the "pundits" believe that Shrub's war plans have been scuttled? In reading Chalmers Johnson's article (cited yesterday), I gleaned the following disturbing tidbit:

Nuclear weapons furnish a striking illustration of these anomalies. Between the 1940s and 1996, the United States spent at least $5.8 trillion on the development, testing, and construction of nuclear bombs. By 1967, the peak year of its nuclear stockpile, the United States possessed some 32,500 deliverable atomic and hydrogen bombs, none of which, thankfully, was ever used. They perfectly illustrate the Keynesian principle that the government can provide make-work jobs to keep people employed. Nuclear weapons were not just America's secret weapon, but also its secret economic weapon. As of 2006, we still had 9,960 of them. There is today no sane use for them, while the trillions spent on them could have been used to solve the problems of social security and health care, quality education and access to higher education for all, not to speak of the retention of highly skilled jobs within the American economy.

The US, of course, continues to "upgrade" those weapons at considerable cost. Against whom will they be deployed? That's the question we must ask ourselves since the weapons do not serve as a Cold War deterrent. Perhaps the answers lies in an article that appeared on the [deleted] site. An excerpt:

A chilling report prepared by a group of top military commanders from the US and its NATO allies declares that the alliance must be prepared to launch a preemptive nuclear first strike because of "asymmetric threats and global challenges" posed to the West. "The first use of nuclear weapons must remain in the quiver of escalation as the ultimate instrument to prevent the use of weapons of mass destruction, in order to avoid truly existential dangers," declares the report, which is titled "Towards a Grand Strategy for an Uncertain World: Renewing Transatlantic Partnership."

The authors of the document, which has been submitted to the Pentagon and the NATO command, include Gen. John Shalikashvili (ret.), who was chief of the joint chiefs of staff under the Clinton administration, as well as former chiefs of the armed forces in Britain, France, Germany and the Netherlands.

Chilling, isn't it? Heck, now that the end times are near, maybe I should just take the remaining money that I have and start up a one-man hurdy-gurdy production company. I could produce, direct, and star in hurdy-gurdy productions with all of those young hotties like Lindsay Meadows. Man, what a way to go!

Not a Remix

I departed for Hawai'i Kai at 8:30am this morning, stopping at Safeway® in Kuapa Kai to appease my caffeine addiction. Moms was home when I arrived. Despite the rain, moms and I made the trek to Ala Moana Center in my faithful Nissan® Frontier truck. Moms paid a bill at Sears®. Then, moms did some shopping at Longs®. We ate lunch at Patty's Chinese Kitchen in the Makai Mall. One more week, and Patty's will be moving out. Our last stop was at Foodland®. Moms and I drove back to Hawai'i Kai.

I contemplated going to the gym in town. However, I made last-minute arrangements to meet with Lori at 2:30pm at Koko Marina. I chatted with moms briefly. Then, I walked to the gym in Koko Marina at 12:45pm. I did a modified version of my usual workout. I showered and exited the gym just as Lori drove into the parking lot. Lori and I chatted for three hours at the Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf® located next to Foodland. Basically, we caught up on the news of the last few weeks for our respective lives. Lori mentioned that she knows of a potential buyer for the "condotel" unit. I was back in my squalid room at Slob Manor (read: rental housing) by 6pm. I performed the despicable laundry chores. The rest of the evening will be the same ol' shit (i.e., Spankwire and so forth). Oh, the great unraveling has begun!

Well, the stock market has rebounded thanks to the massive infusion of liquidity by the Fed. However, insiders are already muttering that the cut was too low. "Zero percent!" they scream. And, yes, they will get their wish very soon. Oh, the great unraveling!

End of Empire

The housemates at Slob Manor (read: rental housing) were in a tizzy over the latest development with the landlord. Tobin chatted with me briefly. He intends to call the police to have the landlord arrested for attempting to move into Slob Manor. Doesn't the landlord own the house? Is there not a vacant room? I expect the situation to develop into a messy encounter.

The Fed has made an "emergency" short-term interest rate cut by 75 basis points a week before its scheduled meeting. I expect at least another 50 basis point cut at the regular meeting next week. We are getting very close to the "war level" of two percent. Of course, the stock market must be kept inflated at any cost. It is the last remaining "bubble" of the economy. If the stock market were to crash, there would be a lot of money lost by pensions, retirement funds, and so forth. Really, though, we know that a huge transfer of wealth from the poor class to the elite class is what actually takes effect.

Seriously, the only way to postpone the recession is to re-inflate the so-called "housing bubble." Home prices must go skyward. And, mortgage interest rates must drop to three percent. All of those toxic loan instruments must come back in force. The US economy is based almost entirely on consumer spending. Only cheap loans and home equity withdrawals can sustain the artificial economy. The Fed is not worried about inflation because it will be passed on to you and I. Eventually, the recession will hit, and it will hit hard.

Another homeless guy emulation kind-of-a-day has come and gone. We already know the drill. When the Fed drops the short-term interest rate to below three percent next week, I will essentially be yielding about $1,000 per month from my investment accounts. I will be $1,000 short every month. As the recession will come about no matter what, I expect that job hunting will become a useless pursuit. Unemployment will rise significantly. Thus, does it matter if I cut out my daily cup of coffee? What is a savings of $30 per month going to do when I am $1,000 short? I am essentially done with worrying about my finances. The inflated dollar means that what I have is worth even less anyway. Incidentally, I posted the final completed net worth report (not available) for last year.

I ran into Justin, my former Diploma Mill sudent, at the gym again. He's still in the tutelage phase of becoming a gym trainer. I asked him why the gym was hiring so many new gym trainers. He did not have an answer. I remember when the hottie gym trainer was one of possibly four gym trainers total at the downtown location. Baby worked almost every day. That's when I noticed what a hottie she was.

Speaking of the hottie gym trainer, I saw baby walking along Fort Street Mall as I was headed in the opposite direction at 4pm. Baby was obviously going to work. Just before baby and I passed each other, she abruptly looked the other way. Baby was looking hot, by the way. I was able to board the Route 1L bus even though I had meandered momentarily to check my mail. I was back in my squalid room at Slob Manor by 5:15 pm. I did nothing for the rest of the day. The evening will be the same ol' shit. I am not sure how much longer I will be able to tolerate this "water torture" life-style. Why can't the hottie gym trainer come around? Sheesh! Well, at least I have Spankwire as a consolation.