Day of Samhain 2008

I was on my way to Hawai'i Kai at 8:30am this morning. I made a quick stop at the Goodwill drop-off. Moms was home when I arrived. Moms and I made the usual rounds around Hawai'i Kai, including Longs® and Safeway® in Kuapa Kai, and Foodland in Koko Marina. Moms broiled a salmon steak for lunch along with lamp-baked chicken, fresh vegetables, and rice. For dessert, moms served up Foremost® coffee ice cream. I chatted with moms until 1:30pm.

I drove my Nissan® Frontier truck to Koko Marina, parked in the parking structure, walked to the gym, did my usual workout, shopped at Foodland, and returned to Slob Manor (read: rental housing) by 4:30pm where the dreaded laundry chores awaited my arrival. Obviously, nothing out of the ordinary occurred, even given that the Day of Samhain was upon us.

There is just so much evil in the world that the Day of Samhain is moot. Frankly, I am sick and tired of evil. Yet, I cannot fight it alone. The forces of evil transcend human existence. Evil goes against the Laws of the Universe, laws which I am certain were created by a greater power. In other words, evil is logical negation of the Laws of the Universe. The irony, of course, is that we cannot have free will and a freedom of choice without the option of evil. If there existed no greater power, then evil would simply be an alternative, innocuous and benign. There essentially would be no connotation of evil itself. Nonetheless, I want to be rid of evil altogether.

I am certainly glad that I no longer reside in Waikiki. Remember the Day of Samhain celebration last year? The whole place was reminiscent of a devil worshipping orgy. Incidentally, I have now resided in Slob Manor for exactly a year. Tomorrow commences my second year in the dump. To be honest, I did not expect to be here that long. Now, because the forces of evil have ransacked the financial "system," I may be stuck in the dump indefinitely.

Ubuntu Linux "Intrepid Ibex" (v8.10) was released yesterday. Right now, I do not plan to upgrade. "Hardy Heron" (v8.04) has long-term support, about three years, which is fine with me. I have ordered the free CD "distro." I will most likely run it in "Live CD" mode to see if there is any noteworthy improvement.

I was in a foul mood for the rest of the day. I suspect the the demons of Samhain were attempting to push me to the edge of sanity. The pagan Saturnalia season commences tomorrow, which is yet another Samhain production. The demons will be working at full strength, no doubt deriving their power from the masses of Saturnalia worshippers. I am not even certain about how I can effectively inoculate myself. Woe is me!

Grand Theft Larceny

"The expected rise in the unemployment rate, paired with the rising threat of deflation, presents a risk that the [Fed] will have to ease even further, perhaps all the way to a zero federal funds rate." -- Federal Reserve governor Laurence Meyer

Another urban nomad kind-of-a-day was given its "walking papers." Absolutely nothing out of the ordinary happened. The urban nomad has pushed the envelope of the status quo.

Something has really been bugging me lately, especially since I've noticed that my investment accounts are shrinking. Yes, I have already accepted the fact that I, like so many others, will be slowly robbed blind. That's a given. What bothers me is the Paulson-Brenanke so-called "bailout." The Fed has been doling out money like there's no tomorrow. So, why was it necessary to tap into tax revenues to fund the "bailout"? My guess is that the "bailout" was a test case for further grand theft larceny. The real purpose of the "bailout" was to begin the process of "privatizing" Social Security and Medicare. The "bailout" has already been forgotten by the very taxpayers who are paying for it. Imagine, then, that the future will call for more of the same. Oh, throw $700 billion here and $700 billion there, and soon we're talking about real money. There will be point of no return. Then, the austerity programs will be forced upon us.

The Fed will be lowing short-term interest rates to near-zero before the year is out. I've predicted as much many moons ago. Greenspan left short-term interest rates extremely low for over a year. Now that the situation is many times worse, we can expect the Fed to maintain near-zero rates for at least three years (coincident with my own prognostication of a housing recovery in 2012). With the amount of useless dollars being injected into the "system," we should expect an overshoot on the hyperinflation side. Right now, there is a partial overshoot of deflation partially due to "demand destruction."

Mind you, food prices have not come down, so we really do not have a deflation scenario. The stock market is gyrating even more wildly than in the last recession, which should be an indicator of the size of the problem that is being created by the interventionists. Should the Fed need to raise short-term interest rates, I predict that it can no longer rise above three percent and for a duration of no longer than six months.

The "system" is completely dependent on debt leveraging. Each "bubble" cycle will produce greater side effects. Eventually, the Fed will be forced to keep short-term rates at zero percent and pump endless amount of money into the "system." Finally, it will all collapse. Had the interventionists allowed the "system" to "correct" itself, there would have been a better chance for economic recovery and infrastructural changes. That's not going to happen now. We have passed "the point of no return."

Big Trouble in Little China

"Worse still, the policies that Paulson and Bernanke did implement at such staggering cost have only begun to do their full long-term damage, which will probably come in a round of even more serious inflation. Together, the Treasury and the Fed have spent or loaned over a trillion dollars in financial-sector aid. As set out by economist Brad Setser of the Council of Foreign Relations, besides steering $950 billion into the U.S. financial system ($500 billion sent over by the Treasury), the Fed has provided still another $450 billion of dollar liquidity to European central banks to spread around on that continent." -- Kevin Phillips

I did not sleep well at all last night. The Chinaman has apparently purchased a whole mess of video games. He now spends all day and night engaged in the most benign activity known to humanity. The Chinaman appears to have been laid off now for a month from his carpentry job. And, from what I can tell, he no longer has a car. What is most irritating is that the fool has the sound effects turned up full blast. Well, I am certain that he has been able to draw unemployment compensation. So, he's "good to go" for the six months.

Another urban nomad kind-of-a-Wednesday has come to pass. I followed the usual Wednesday itinerary. Sadly, I avoided Taco Bell® or any other avenues of wasting money. Speaking of wasting money, the Fed lowered short-term interest rates as to be expected. The stock market failed to rally because the cut wasn't big enough. Not to worry. The Fed will lower rates to near-zero percent before the end of the year, just as I predicted. Will another "bubble" finally inflate?

I have lost about $2,000 from my bond fund. I did not expect to see bonds go through the floor along with the stock market, but it did. And, I lost money. I did observe that my money market funds are still yielding over three percent. The latter is what the Fed is apparently attempting to bludgeon with its rate cuts. Yet, I foresee a backlash in the form of hyperinflation in the near future. The Fed believes that it has "elbow room" since the dollar gained over other currencies. There is also a faulty belief that we are experiencing asset and commodity price deflation. Thus, the Fed will flood the "system" with useless dollars causing an overshoot. That's when inflation will come back like a really bad sitcom. Can you say, "Big trouble in little China"?

Fun, A Subjective Concept

Another redundant urban nomad kind-of-a-day ... you know the drill. My only deviation from the laborious routine was my brief jaunt to the Institute of Hair Design to restore my infamous monk haircut. The same guy cut my hair again. So, I was spared any unpleasant surprises. The day, because of its innate redundancy, passed fairly quickly. How can I waste my life away like that? I don't have an answer. However, the real question is: What are the alternatives? Wage slavery? Rampant consumerism? The tube?

My evenings revolve around my Toshiba® Satellite notebook computer. I am pretty much glued to it from 6pm to 11pm every evening. I spend the time reading only a handful of alternative news sites. I no longer bother with politics. That's an even bigger waste of time than the tube. In fact, the presidential (s)election is eerily reminiscent of the Apple® versus Microsoft® battle. In real life, there are more than two operating systems, and the choice need not be restricted to the "lesser of two evils." Same with politics.

Anyway, I also spend much time playing with Ubuntu Linux. I have installed and uninstalled a number of application programs. I have noticed one irritating problem which involves the gconf database. Uninstalling application programs does not always purge the configuration files. They remain in the gconf database forever. The concept is only slightly parallel to the Windows® registry. The gconf database does not become bloated or affect system performance. And, if it becomes corrupted, the computer will still function. Alas, that's the kind of fun I'm having these days.

Rubric of Redundancy

Another Monday found moms and I and I making the rounds around Hawai'i Kai in my Nissan® Frontier truck. We patronized the usual places including Long® in Kuapa Kai and Foodland in Koko Marina. We ate local-style plate lunches at Loco Moco. When I refer to "local-style," I mean a lot of meat, mucho rice, and macaroni salad drowning in mayonnaise. As anyone can imagine, the meal is beyond filling. Later, moms served Foremost® coffee ice cream for dessert. Then, I chatted with moms until 1pm.

I spent about an hour in Koko Head park. There were literally thousands of flies buzzing about. I was not able to enjoy my time. I was only too happy to depart for Koko Marina. I performed my usual cardio workout at the gym, shopped at Foodland, and returned to Slob Manor (read: rental housing) where the dreaded laundry chores awaited me.

Today was not a day that I concerned myself with much. Contemplation about the global financial collapse has made me fatigued. I can safely say that I am sitting back and waiting for the stock market to bottom out. I have a few worthless dollars idly waiting for the moment. All I want is to recover some of the losses that I will absorb or have absorbed from living in a predatory society.

Down & Out With Ubuntu

Net access at Slob Manor (read: rental housing) was restored a few minutes after I decided to mummify the day's "blog" entry. The cable modem black hole was breached. Not that it mattered. There is nothing much new to discuss. The "blog" has become redundant again, even though I have cut down on the crap. Well, at least I had a break from the "blog," eh? Sheesh!

I located a few hurdy-gurdy video files on DVD-ROM archives. I am not sure why I had archived them. I am already at the age where the Vienna Sausage is marginally operational. There is no need to maintain a hurdy-gurdy archive. Heck, an "emergency" hurdy-gurdy video is just a "torrent" download away. Incidentally, the site is finally operational again. Thus, in the name of simplicity, the hurdy-gurdy archive remnants must be divested.

I am rather sick and tired of the presidential (s)election hype. It's all pure nonsense. Frankly, I am now hoping that John McCain wins the (s)election. At least I will know that I won't be disappointed about the outcome of the empire in the next four years.

Another urban nomad kind-of-a-Sunday was tainted by bad weather. I departed when the intermittent showers subsided. However, as the bus approached town, the rain intensified. I was wearing my usual urban nomad attire - board shorts, tank top, and slippers (read: slippahs). Fortunately, I had enough sense to carry my umbrella. After retrieving my mail from the Post Office, I performed my usual workout at the gym. I departed from town an hour earlier than usual. Thus, I decided to stop off at Foodland in the Aina Haina Shopping Center. When I finally arrived back at Slob Manor (read: rental housing), I was privy to see the sky clear up. Within a few minutes, I could see patches of blue behind the dissipating clouds. Another urban nomad kind-of-a-day has passed.

The despicable "condotel" unit was short $300 of revenue last month, of which I will have to personally account for. From what I am to understand, the situation is going to get worse. There has been little news about the failing Hawai'i tourist industry. I have heard nothing about slowdowns, layoffs, or any other recessionary trends. As a matter of fact, I have never seen so many people indulging in rampant consumerism in what is supposed to be a bad time. I have no idea about what is going on. Speaking for myself, I can safely say that I am feeling the pinch. I have never gone through such trying times. With no income, I am still plagued with a variety of recurring and new expenses. Am I stressed out? You bet! However, I can no longer even afford the luxury of getting hammered. All I have is Ubuntu Linux.

Cable Modem Black Hole

Another urban nomad kind-of-a-day has been shrink-wrapped for posterity. Absolutely nothing out of the ordinary transpired, so I was able to remain steadfast with my usual urban nomad itinerary. You know the drill. The weather was not very nice. In fact, there were light showers throughout the day. Oddly, I was able to get around without getting wet. When I returned to Slob Manor (read: rental housing) at 3:30pm, I discovered that the dump's Net access was down yet again. Cable service is normally down daily for at least an hour. That's how shitty the Oceanic Cable Net service is. The tube, however, is always unaffected.

Today, the service has apparently been down for most of the afternoon and evening. No one seems to know why. I was able to connect marginally to one of the wireless networks nearby. The signal was weak, so data transmission was spotty. What I find odd is that other people in the surrounding area appear to have Net connections. If they have cable access, then their connections should also be down. We should essentially be sharing the same hub. Fortunately, there is nothing to discuss in the "blog." So, I will leave it at that.

Life in a Box (Reprise)

"Empires don't elect presidents, they select emperors. The Empire's Establishment picked up an unknown politician and made of him a star to save itself and control the masses with the American Democracy Show. Casting a handsome, charming black man (yes! the Establishment played the race card. Remember? Everything has to change so that nothing changes) to cover the ugly face of a bloody, ruthless Empire, the ruling class plans to rebuild the illusion of a respectable civilization, the stars and stripes mythology, the American way. The media -- owned by those who control the political process, the same people who control the economy and our lives -- played marvelously the game and another Hollywood movie is brainwashing the four corners of the planet." -- Gabriele Zamparini

Moms was home when I arrived at 9am this morning. Moms wanted to go shopping at Ala Moana Center, so we had to depart immediately. I parked my Nissan® Frontier truck in a nice shaded space in the new parking structure. Moms then shopped for shoes at Robins. Then, we ended up at Longs®. Then, we headed back to Hawai'i Kai.

Naturally, we stopped off at Koko Marina. Moms and I ate lunch at Zippy's. Subsequently, moms shopped for groceries at Foodland. Later, moms served Foremost® coffee ice cream for dessert. I chatted with moms until 12:50pm. I spent one hour at Koko Head Park, drove back to Koko Marina, found shaded parking, performed my usual workout at the gym, shopped at Foodland, and returned to Slob Manor (read: rental housing) where the dreaded laundry chores awaited.

I called the dentist office to make an appointment to replace my lower right molar with a crown. I inquired about the porcelain and gold material that will comprise the crown. I wanted be sure that I would not find myself with a gold tooth. I do not want any kind of "gangsta" look. Apparently, the crown will be a porcelain surface applied to a gold base. No wonder the cost is so high. With gold running at $731 per ounce, the crown is probably the bulk of the expense. Sheesh!

Well, I am not sure what to make of the economy. From what I can tell, the empire has not gone into the deflationary stage yet. Oil prices are down because of "demand destruction" and a dollar made stronger by other weakening currencies. Home prices are still falling. Stock prices would most likely fall without outside intervention. Even the price of gold has gone down. Wages are down, and unemployment is up. Food prices, however, are not going down. Hence, no deflation in sight. I am expecting the Fed to drop short-term interest rates below one percent next week.

Happy Pariah

Another urban nomad kind-of-a-day was stricken from the record. Oh, what a life I lead! Absolutely nothing out of the ordinary occurred during the course of the day. I have opted to carry my Rubbermaid® container filled with Quaker® Granola in order to cut back on expenses. I had been carrying a variety of granola bars. However, the price of the latter commodity has skyrocketed beyond comprehension. I now take a break from my grueling routine in the inner courtyard of the library to eat my granola-based lunch under the coconut trees in the Capitol district. Of course, I still maintain my daily gym regimen.

The highlight of my day, of course, is when I get to spend time with my Toshiba® Satellite notebook computer. I have been fascinated with Ubuntu Linux, although the latter has been frustrating at times. I am finding that I need to use the command line more than ever. I am also beginning to wonder if I should downgrade to a lighter desktop manager such as Xfce. After all, simplicity is the key to happiness.

I neglected to mention that I John in Modesto sent an e-mail a few days ago. He has finally achieved licensing as an architect. Congratulations are certainly in order. I chuckled to myself as I realized how many of my close friends and associates over the years have been "late bloomers." I, myself, have always been a severe underachiever with an uncanny talent for avoiding an untimely demise. There are days that I wonder about how I would fare as a "normal" person. No matter how I broached the subject, there was no way for me to envision myself as such. I have been and always will be an anomaly, a pariah.

Rabble

"I went from being able to have virtually any toy I desired to having nothing but an old truck, a laptop and about $250 in a matter of weeks. It was an emotional struggle but surprisingly as I continued to survive without all the trimmings I began to appreciate that almost everything I had previously owned was excess baggage that weighed me down instead of making me more fit/powerful/happy. I began to rejoice in the freedom of not needing to carry all that weight." -- Peter Offerman

Another $139 disappeared at the dentist office this morning after I had my third and final cavity filled. I asked my dentist to inspect the troublesome lower right molar. Upon perusal, he found a fracture that runs the full height of the tooth. He proposed that the tooth be replaced with a crown sans root canal. The cost a whopping $918 and some change! That will bring my total dental expenses to well over $1,500 or so. I was flabbergasted.

I had parked my Nissan® Frontier truck in the parking structure at Kahala Mall. I walked back to the mall at 8:30am and walked around. I headed to Barnes & Noble® at 9am. I ordered a cup of decaffeinated coffee from the café and perused a few computer magazines to pass the time. I departed for Hawai'i Kai at 11:30am. I stopped off at Safeway® in Kuapa Kai to purchase a muffin for lunch.

I drove to Koko Head Park and spent about 1.5 hours there. I sat at one of the picnic tables and enjoyed the scenery. I was still perturbed by the exorbitant cost of my dental work. However, I will schedule an appointment soon to install the crown (and part ways with $918). If I wait too long, the fracture may deepen which would surely require a root canal and another $2,000 or more. While I sat and ruminated about such nonsense, I realized that I still had the luxury of affording dental care even as I remain unemployed. How many people are gainfully employed but do not have the same luxury? How many people have I seen on the bus who are missing teeth?

I ended up at Koko Marina to perform my usual workout at the gym. I sadly discovered that the Cheesy Bean and Rice Burritos are no longer $1.09 each, so I purchased two Cheesy Double Beef Burritos instead. I prefer the former over the latter, so I will no longer patronize Taco Bell®. I shopped for a handful of groceries at Foodland and returned to Slob Manor (read: rental housing).

There is always a lot more to write about. Yet, why bother? There is only one legitimate reader of the "blog" each day. My only pressing statement for the day is this: I need at least $1 million in order to barely survive. Obviously, I possess nowhere near that much dough. So, I have been reduced to a level of poverty that can only be wished upon the most detestable scum. I have much in common with the author of the quote at the beginning.