Once again, I was basking in the beauty of Kawaikui Beach Park at 7:45am this morning. This latest addendum to my urban nomad ritual has been refreshing. Only one of the homeless guys was there. He was, as usual, stationed at concrete picnic table at the West end of the park. As far as he is concerned, that is his home. Even when he leaves, he places a few of his possessions on on the table to reserve it. He seems to follow a ritual of sorts. One characteristic that I have observed is that he is in no hurry to be anywhere. After retrieving his morning coffee from Mickey Dee's® in the Aina Haina Shopping Center, he returns to the park. He smokes his pipe and performs odd chores before he eventually rides the bus somewhere. He is not the typical homeless guy.
I was a little restless this morning. My mind seemed to be preoccupied, but I had no idea about what. I was also clearly agitated but, again, I had no idea about what. I finally walked back to Slob Manor (read: rental housing), gathered up my gym bag, and drove off to Hawai'i Kai in my Nissan® Frontier truck.
Moms was home when I arrived. My nephew was playing a video game which, according to moms, he does all day and night. Moms and I made a stop at City Mill in the Hawai'i Kai Towne Center. Moms purchased a couple of large bags of potting soil. Then, we ended up at Koko Marina. For lunch, moms and I ate at Zippy's. For some strange reason, I was given two scoops of rice and a scoop of macaroni salad instead of garlic bread. Rice with spaghetti? Sheesh!
Later, moms shopped for groceries at Foodland. Moms also purchased some sushi at Kozo Sushi. For dessert, moms served Foremost® vanilla ice cream. I departed at 12:50pm. Moms was feeling a little "under the weather," so I did not want to prolong my visit.
I spent a little time at Koko Head Park. Then, I drove back to Koko Marina, parked my truck, walked to the gym, performed my usual workout, and shopped for groceries at Foodland. The supermarket was packed with idiots. The checkout lines were extremely long. No doubt, there is going to be a lot of revelry this evening. However, the ol' lavahead will not be amongst the fools. There is nothing to celebrate. And, there are far too many decent people suffering in the world. I need not be so arrogant as to rub my comfortable, albeit squalid, life-style in their faces.
I was back at Slob Manor by 5pm. Moms gave me some sushi, so that is what I ate for dinner along with a small portion of veggie "rations." There was no celebratory dinner. Most celebration foods cause me "regularity" problems anyway. Who needs that? My evening will follow the same nauseating routine. You know the drill.
The one and only reader of the "blog" may wonder why I have refrained from making any kind of social commentary in the last few weeks. I have essentially returned to the redundant postings of yore. To be honest, I am completely fed up with the "system." And, it took the whole 1.5 years of "freedom" from wage slavery to bring me to that point. Let me explain. I have spent a good portion of my free time reading and researching modern history and relevant current affairs, an activity that most wage slaves have no time for. I have probably learned more about my role as a citizen of the empire and the nature of the empire itself. Sadly, I now believe that every citizen of the empire should have been required to do the same reading and research. Perhaps we would not be in the dire predicament that we find ourselves in right now has we been a more informed populace.
I have made a point to surround myself in some kind of natural environment during at least one portion of my day. I want to balance out the sordid life-style that most of us are forced to live within. There is really no sense in delineating any issues in the "blog." With only one legitimate reader, a bibliography ever now and then should suffice. The majority of visitors are unquestionably searching for pictures of young hotties. The facts speak for themselves. Nobody really cares much about anything except what satiates the inner demons. Take the recent atrocity in Gaza as perpetrated by those dreadful Israeli Zionists. The empire supports and condones those actions and, hence, the empire's citizenry is complicit in the genocide as well.
The only thing that seems to concern the empire's citizens universally is what is appearing on the tube. Yes, the tube ... the piece of shit that sits like a shrine in the living room of every home. Once can easily understand why the empire is willing to subsidize the purchase of converter boxes for when tube broadcasting goes digital in February. The empire wants to make sure that mass hypnosis of the masses is maintained while the "wool is being pulled over their eyes."
Well, it is now New Year's Eve. My question is, "So what?" People will turn into fools. The satanic gargoyles will come out at night with their kabuki masks. Money and cheap booze will be flowing like water. Yet, what is the outcome. Tomorrow will be same (or worse) than today. The crap is only beginning. So, what is there to celebrate?
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Beach Blanket Bonzo
Another urban nomad kind-of-a-day commenced with a visit to Kawaikui Beach Park at 7:35am this morning. I brought my breakfast (i.e., a banana and a cup of granola) with me. One of the homeless guys was a sleep in the pavilion structure. The other homeless guy who stakes out the concrete picnic table at the West end of the park was gone. However, he left a few of his belongings on the table. A few other belongings were hanging on a tree trunk. The sky was overcast again, but I enjoyed my time there. The other homeless guy returned a few minutes later. He casually put a few things in his backpack and walked toward the bus stop. He placed a cup of coffee next to sleeping homeless guy in the pavilion.
On the way out of the beach park, I saw the one homeless guy still sitting at the bus stop. I walked back to Slob Manor (read: rental housing). I gathered up my gym bag and meandered out to the bus stop. The homeless guy was gone. I continued my normal urban nomad itinerary. You know the drill. I rode the bus to town. I sat in the inner courtyard of the library for the rest of the morning. At 12:35pm, I walked to the gym and dropped off my gym bag. I then sashayed to the Institute of Hair Design. The same Asian chick cut my hair again. I was careful to point out the same flaws. So, the haircut turned out to be acceptable.
I completed the usual workout at the gym. Then, I rode the bus back to Slob Manor. I ate the rudimentary veggie "rations" dinner and supplemented the latter with the same ol' panini grilled on my DeLonghi® "retro" contact grill and panini press. As for the evening, we can expect more of the same.
On the way out of the beach park, I saw the one homeless guy still sitting at the bus stop. I walked back to Slob Manor (read: rental housing). I gathered up my gym bag and meandered out to the bus stop. The homeless guy was gone. I continued my normal urban nomad itinerary. You know the drill. I rode the bus to town. I sat in the inner courtyard of the library for the rest of the morning. At 12:35pm, I walked to the gym and dropped off my gym bag. I then sashayed to the Institute of Hair Design. The same Asian chick cut my hair again. I was careful to point out the same flaws. So, the haircut turned out to be acceptable.
I completed the usual workout at the gym. Then, I rode the bus back to Slob Manor. I ate the rudimentary veggie "rations" dinner and supplemented the latter with the same ol' panini grilled on my DeLonghi® "retro" contact grill and panini press. As for the evening, we can expect more of the same.
Monday, December 29, 2008
Random Vectors
Well, as of late last night, Slob Manor (read: rental housing) is back to normal again. Only the pathetic ragtag group of misfits (i.e., tenants) are here. Is that good or bad? Who knows? Who cares?
I woke up at 7am this morning. I was on my way to Kawaikui Beach Park before 8am. The sky was overcast. The normally blue ocean was a dismal shade of grey. Yet, there was immense beauty in the natural surroundings. Only one of the homeless guys was in the park. He is the guy whom I most often see on the bus. He was sitting at the same concrete picnic table at the West end. He had a large towel laid out on the grass and held in place with plastic jugs full of water. Lying in the center of the towel was camping chair. The homeless guy sat at the concrete picnic table. He was in no particular hurry to go anywhere. Most of his possessions were sprawled out on the grass or hanging from the tree adjacent to the concrete picnic table.
I moved from one concrete picnic table to another, for no apparent reason. The homeless guy got up to do odd chores every now and then, but he ended up sitting in the exact same spot. I finally departed at 9am. I walked back to Slob Manor (read: rental housing). I gathered up my gym bag and Rubbermaid® cooler. Within a few short minutes, I was on my way to Hawai'i Kai in my Nissan® Frontier truck.
Moms was home when I arrived. So was my nephew, who has been on vacation for a week. My nephew was playing video games, as he always does when he's home. The new Sony® widescreen 37-inch LCD HD tube was sitting like a shrine in the living room. My nephew provided the details. My sister-in-law apparently won a 19-inch LCD tube in a contest. She was able to trade up to the 37-incher for $400 more. Of course, with the big push for HD-TV by February, most tube watchers are opting to purchase extravagant widescreen LCD or plasma tubes.
Moms and I made the usual rounds ... Longs® in Kuapa Kai and Foodland in Koko Marina. For lunch, moms served leftover ham, lamp-baked chicken, fresh vegetables, and rice. For dessert, we ate Best Yet® vanilla ice cream. After lunch, I sat in favorite chair from days long past. I almost lapsed into a coma. The time came to be 1:45pm.
I bid farewell to moms and drove directly to Koko Marina. I found shaded parking, walked to the gym and performed my usual workout. Once again, I moved up my workouts by one day since the gym will be closed on New Year's Day. I shopped for my own groceries at Foodland. On the way out, I chatted with a Foodland cashier. He said that the store ended up throwing out a lot of food after the power outage. That explained why the dairy section was almost completely empty. I noticed that at the Aina Haina Foodland yesterday. I was back at Slob Manor by 5pm. The evening? You know the drill.
My big toe is still hurting, but there is nothing that I can do about it. I have no health insurance. My tooth, the one that was replaced by a crown, is still giving me grief. I suspect that I have been grinding my teeth during various dream episodes at night. The grinding may have been shifting the crown incrementally at random vectors, thus causing undue discomfort.
I woke up at 7am this morning. I was on my way to Kawaikui Beach Park before 8am. The sky was overcast. The normally blue ocean was a dismal shade of grey. Yet, there was immense beauty in the natural surroundings. Only one of the homeless guys was in the park. He is the guy whom I most often see on the bus. He was sitting at the same concrete picnic table at the West end. He had a large towel laid out on the grass and held in place with plastic jugs full of water. Lying in the center of the towel was camping chair. The homeless guy sat at the concrete picnic table. He was in no particular hurry to go anywhere. Most of his possessions were sprawled out on the grass or hanging from the tree adjacent to the concrete picnic table.
I moved from one concrete picnic table to another, for no apparent reason. The homeless guy got up to do odd chores every now and then, but he ended up sitting in the exact same spot. I finally departed at 9am. I walked back to Slob Manor (read: rental housing). I gathered up my gym bag and Rubbermaid® cooler. Within a few short minutes, I was on my way to Hawai'i Kai in my Nissan® Frontier truck.
Moms was home when I arrived. So was my nephew, who has been on vacation for a week. My nephew was playing video games, as he always does when he's home. The new Sony® widescreen 37-inch LCD HD tube was sitting like a shrine in the living room. My nephew provided the details. My sister-in-law apparently won a 19-inch LCD tube in a contest. She was able to trade up to the 37-incher for $400 more. Of course, with the big push for HD-TV by February, most tube watchers are opting to purchase extravagant widescreen LCD or plasma tubes.
Moms and I made the usual rounds ... Longs® in Kuapa Kai and Foodland in Koko Marina. For lunch, moms served leftover ham, lamp-baked chicken, fresh vegetables, and rice. For dessert, we ate Best Yet® vanilla ice cream. After lunch, I sat in favorite chair from days long past. I almost lapsed into a coma. The time came to be 1:45pm.
I bid farewell to moms and drove directly to Koko Marina. I found shaded parking, walked to the gym and performed my usual workout. Once again, I moved up my workouts by one day since the gym will be closed on New Year's Day. I shopped for my own groceries at Foodland. On the way out, I chatted with a Foodland cashier. He said that the store ended up throwing out a lot of food after the power outage. That explained why the dairy section was almost completely empty. I noticed that at the Aina Haina Foodland yesterday. I was back at Slob Manor by 5pm. The evening? You know the drill.
My big toe is still hurting, but there is nothing that I can do about it. I have no health insurance. My tooth, the one that was replaced by a crown, is still giving me grief. I suspect that I have been grinding my teeth during various dream episodes at night. The grinding may have been shifting the crown incrementally at random vectors, thus causing undue discomfort.
Sunday, December 28, 2008
View from the Bottom (Reprise)
Another urban nomad kind-of-a-Sunday ... well, not exactly. I woke up fairly early this morning. At 8am, I walked to Kawaikui Beach Park. I brought my brunch (i.e., a banana and a cup of granola) with me. I was able to enjoy the view of the ocean. I was also privy to see a colorful rainbow spanning over the mountain range behind me. There is almost no way to put a price on the whole experience. I had to ask myself why I rarely walked to the tiny beach park in the last year that I've lived at Slob Manor (read: rental housing).
I verified that there are at least three homeless guys living in Kawaikui Beach Park. Aside from the two that I identified yesterday, there is another guy who owns a bicycle. Two of the guys appear to sleep in the small pavilion. I am not sure where the third guy sleeps, but he has stationed himself at one of the concrete picnic tables at the West end of the beach. While they may not believe it, the three homeless guys are in the elite of the homeless. They are living in the midst of million dollar estates, and they are afforded the same beachfront view at a fraction of the living cost.
I returned to Slob Manor just in time to retrieve my gym bag and walk to the bus stop. I rode the bus to town at the usual time, but I walked straight to the gym after I alighted. Halfway through my workout, I was privy to espy the hottie gym trainer. Baby was working with a gym member. As always, baby was looking mighty fine. On the way out of the gym at 1pm, I observed that baby was still at the gym. When I exited the gym, I was surprised to see rain coming down. I waited for a few minutes to see if the rain would stop. During that time, the hottie gym trainer and her female friend exited the gym. Baby was wearing the infamous tight green top that accentuates her abundant curves. What an awesome sight!
I was able to board the bus heading to Hawai'i Kai within a few minutes of arriving at the bus stop. I was back at Slob Manor by 2pm. Both Sushant, the Indian guy, and his sister were lounging around. The sister's vacation visit is apparently much longer than I had expected. Having an overnight guest at Slob Manor is actually prohibited by the landlord. And, it makes an already inconvenient situation even more inconvenient. With the kind of money that the Indian guy makes, I would have thought that he would have splurged and found a nice hotel room for his sister. Of course, the ol' lavahead is the only one who must endlessly make concessions.
I ate a veggie "rations" snack while I performed the dreaded laundry chores. After the deed was done, I drove my Nissan® Frontier truck to Foodland in the Aina Haina Shopping Center. The Indian guy and his sister apparently went out somewhere, so I had a slight reprieve from feeling like an unwelcome guest in my own place. For dinner, I called upon my DeLonghi® "retro" contact grill and panini press. Yes, the same panini again for dinner. Well, the evening will be more of the same. Yes, more of the same.
Unbelievable as it may seem, there are even more visitors to the "blog" who are solely in search of babe pictures. Take a look at the Feedjit® Live Feed and see for yourself.
So, once again, we must bait the fools and ask them to visit the Hottie Watch site instead. There's plenty of "eye candy" there. Please go there now!
I verified that there are at least three homeless guys living in Kawaikui Beach Park. Aside from the two that I identified yesterday, there is another guy who owns a bicycle. Two of the guys appear to sleep in the small pavilion. I am not sure where the third guy sleeps, but he has stationed himself at one of the concrete picnic tables at the West end of the beach. While they may not believe it, the three homeless guys are in the elite of the homeless. They are living in the midst of million dollar estates, and they are afforded the same beachfront view at a fraction of the living cost.
I returned to Slob Manor just in time to retrieve my gym bag and walk to the bus stop. I rode the bus to town at the usual time, but I walked straight to the gym after I alighted. Halfway through my workout, I was privy to espy the hottie gym trainer. Baby was working with a gym member. As always, baby was looking mighty fine. On the way out of the gym at 1pm, I observed that baby was still at the gym. When I exited the gym, I was surprised to see rain coming down. I waited for a few minutes to see if the rain would stop. During that time, the hottie gym trainer and her female friend exited the gym. Baby was wearing the infamous tight green top that accentuates her abundant curves. What an awesome sight!
I was able to board the bus heading to Hawai'i Kai within a few minutes of arriving at the bus stop. I was back at Slob Manor by 2pm. Both Sushant, the Indian guy, and his sister were lounging around. The sister's vacation visit is apparently much longer than I had expected. Having an overnight guest at Slob Manor is actually prohibited by the landlord. And, it makes an already inconvenient situation even more inconvenient. With the kind of money that the Indian guy makes, I would have thought that he would have splurged and found a nice hotel room for his sister. Of course, the ol' lavahead is the only one who must endlessly make concessions.
I ate a veggie "rations" snack while I performed the dreaded laundry chores. After the deed was done, I drove my Nissan® Frontier truck to Foodland in the Aina Haina Shopping Center. The Indian guy and his sister apparently went out somewhere, so I had a slight reprieve from feeling like an unwelcome guest in my own place. For dinner, I called upon my DeLonghi® "retro" contact grill and panini press. Yes, the same panini again for dinner. Well, the evening will be more of the same. Yes, more of the same.
Unbelievable as it may seem, there are even more visitors to the "blog" who are solely in search of babe pictures. Take a look at the Feedjit® Live Feed and see for yourself.
So, once again, we must bait the fools and ask them to visit the Hottie Watch site instead. There's plenty of "eye candy" there. Please go there now!
Saturday, December 27, 2008
Big Toe Runaround
Last night, as I stumbled around in the dark in town, I almost tripped over the numerous homeless people who were sleeping in the doorways of various storefronts. Other derelicts were milling about, or sitting around and chain-smoking cigarettes. Would I be able to adjust to a life-style like that?
I did not sleep well at all last night. I have been suffering from excessive dreams almost every night for as long as I can remember. As always, I wake up several times during the night to take a break from the dreams and "drain the lizard." Last night, I discovered that I could still experience the same types of dreams even though I am not fully asleep. Then, each time that I woke up, I noticed that the power was still off.
I finally got up at 7am. I piddled around and tried to restore order to my squalid room since I had daylight available to see everything. Traffic was already hectic. Where were all of those fools going? Absolutely nothing was open for business without power. I walked to Kawaikui Beach Park shortly afterward. I brought my pathetic brunch (i.e., a banana and a cup of granola) with me. It took me almost five minutes to cross Kalani'ana'ole Highway. With the traffic signals out of commission, there was no rule in force. Some people stopped, treating all intersections as four-way stops, while other sped through carelessly. I did want to risk my life.
I spent about two hours at the beach park. I sat on a variety of benches. I observed two homeless guys, both of whom I see on the bus frequently. Apparently, they live in the beach park. I watched as one of them hid his sleeping bag and belongings behind a bush at the far end of the park before he departed on his homeless guy itinerary. I ate my brunch and viewed the ocean. Yet, I was not completely relaxed. While I walking back to Slob Manor, I stepped on a pile of dog shit (read: dung). More grief for the ol' lavahead.
A full 16 hours of the power outage had elapsed when I returned from the beach park. I did not know what to do, aside from washing off the dog shit from my slippers (read: slippahs). I finally walked out to my truck to listen to the radio. All of the radio stations were back on the air. I figured that power must have been restored, at least in town. I gathered up my gym bag and rode the bus to town. I had thought of driving out to Hawai'i Kai, but that would have been risky. There was no telling when the power would be restored out there. I could spend hours waiting for the gym to open, if at all. On the way, I observed that the Kahala area already had power. So, I was relieved that I was not making the trip to town in vain. Before I departed, I had moved my perishable food to the freezer of the big side-by-side refrigerator downstairs. The freezer section was full and it also has an ice maker with a bin full of ice, so I was certain that it would remain cold for several more hours. The interior of the refrigerator on the second floor was already warm.
Once in town, I made my way directly to the gym. I performed my usual workout, then made the return trip to Slob Manor. As the us passed the library, I felt a little chagrined because I was not able to spend time there. I had to make one transfer along the way. The wait for the next bus was annoying. I kept thinking about my food spoiling, although I was now more afraid of returning to find the power restored and all my food completely frozen.
When the bus entered Aina Haina, I noticed that the traffic signals were functioning. I finally set foot in Slob Manor at 3pm. The power was restored. From what I could tell, it had been turned on for only a few minutes prior to my arrival. I was slightly relieved. While moving my food back to the second floor refrigerator, I stubbed my right big toe on the steps. Blood formed under my toenail. More grief. I cursed at the stupidity of the whole day. Later, I cleaned out the ice maker for the downstairs side-by-side refrigerator. The ice cubes in the bin had melted together into one big lump. Using the automatic ice dispenser would have surely broken something. Besides that, no one else would even consider the chore.
By 5pm, my big toe was swollen and somewhat numb. I made one panini using the same ingredients and grilled it on my DeLonghi® "retro" contact grill and panini press. Strangely, the panini tasted really good. Well, I don't plan on doing much this evening, that is, unless there is another power outage. Sheesh!
The whole power outage fiasco lasted 19 hours, much longer than the more serious earthquake scenario of two years ago. Whassup wi' dat. So far, the cause of the outage was allegedly a bolt of lightening that struck a regional transformer. As an engineer, I can truly appreciate how ludicrous that sounds. There is no way that a small regional problem would bring down an entire power network. Yet, here in Hawai'i, it happened. HECO will no doubt face even more scrutiny and criticism for the latest débâcle. Yet, nothing will change.
On a side note, I have commenced work on my net worth spreadsheet in order to have the annual "finalized" version completed before the end of next month. I will pleasantly surprised if my net worth has not decreased significantly. Of course, we are looking at "paper" assets, which may or may not be meaningless.
I did not sleep well at all last night. I have been suffering from excessive dreams almost every night for as long as I can remember. As always, I wake up several times during the night to take a break from the dreams and "drain the lizard." Last night, I discovered that I could still experience the same types of dreams even though I am not fully asleep. Then, each time that I woke up, I noticed that the power was still off.
I finally got up at 7am. I piddled around and tried to restore order to my squalid room since I had daylight available to see everything. Traffic was already hectic. Where were all of those fools going? Absolutely nothing was open for business without power. I walked to Kawaikui Beach Park shortly afterward. I brought my pathetic brunch (i.e., a banana and a cup of granola) with me. It took me almost five minutes to cross Kalani'ana'ole Highway. With the traffic signals out of commission, there was no rule in force. Some people stopped, treating all intersections as four-way stops, while other sped through carelessly. I did want to risk my life.
I spent about two hours at the beach park. I sat on a variety of benches. I observed two homeless guys, both of whom I see on the bus frequently. Apparently, they live in the beach park. I watched as one of them hid his sleeping bag and belongings behind a bush at the far end of the park before he departed on his homeless guy itinerary. I ate my brunch and viewed the ocean. Yet, I was not completely relaxed. While I walking back to Slob Manor, I stepped on a pile of dog shit (read: dung). More grief for the ol' lavahead.
A full 16 hours of the power outage had elapsed when I returned from the beach park. I did not know what to do, aside from washing off the dog shit from my slippers (read: slippahs). I finally walked out to my truck to listen to the radio. All of the radio stations were back on the air. I figured that power must have been restored, at least in town. I gathered up my gym bag and rode the bus to town. I had thought of driving out to Hawai'i Kai, but that would have been risky. There was no telling when the power would be restored out there. I could spend hours waiting for the gym to open, if at all. On the way, I observed that the Kahala area already had power. So, I was relieved that I was not making the trip to town in vain. Before I departed, I had moved my perishable food to the freezer of the big side-by-side refrigerator downstairs. The freezer section was full and it also has an ice maker with a bin full of ice, so I was certain that it would remain cold for several more hours. The interior of the refrigerator on the second floor was already warm.
Once in town, I made my way directly to the gym. I performed my usual workout, then made the return trip to Slob Manor. As the us passed the library, I felt a little chagrined because I was not able to spend time there. I had to make one transfer along the way. The wait for the next bus was annoying. I kept thinking about my food spoiling, although I was now more afraid of returning to find the power restored and all my food completely frozen.
When the bus entered Aina Haina, I noticed that the traffic signals were functioning. I finally set foot in Slob Manor at 3pm. The power was restored. From what I could tell, it had been turned on for only a few minutes prior to my arrival. I was slightly relieved. While moving my food back to the second floor refrigerator, I stubbed my right big toe on the steps. Blood formed under my toenail. More grief. I cursed at the stupidity of the whole day. Later, I cleaned out the ice maker for the downstairs side-by-side refrigerator. The ice cubes in the bin had melted together into one big lump. Using the automatic ice dispenser would have surely broken something. Besides that, no one else would even consider the chore.
By 5pm, my big toe was swollen and somewhat numb. I made one panini using the same ingredients and grilled it on my DeLonghi® "retro" contact grill and panini press. Strangely, the panini tasted really good. Well, I don't plan on doing much this evening, that is, unless there is another power outage. Sheesh!
The whole power outage fiasco lasted 19 hours, much longer than the more serious earthquake scenario of two years ago. Whassup wi' dat. So far, the cause of the outage was allegedly a bolt of lightening that struck a regional transformer. As an engineer, I can truly appreciate how ludicrous that sounds. There is no way that a small regional problem would bring down an entire power network. Yet, here in Hawai'i, it happened. HECO will no doubt face even more scrutiny and criticism for the latest débâcle. Yet, nothing will change.
On a side note, I have commenced work on my net worth spreadsheet in order to have the annual "finalized" version completed before the end of next month. I will pleasantly surprised if my net worth has not decreased significantly. Of course, we are looking at "paper" assets, which may or may not be meaningless.
Friday, December 26, 2008
Magneto Madness
Another urban nomad kind-of-a-day found the urban nomad at a loss about what he should do for the day. Rather than ride the bus to town, the urban nomad made a last minute decision to drive his Nissan® Frontier truck to Kahala Mall. Actually, he was planning to ride the bus there, but his dillydallying caused him to miss the bus.
I spent most of the time in the Barnes & Noble® Café sipping decaffeinated coffee and perusing a few magazines. The store eventually was overcome by a mob of bargain post-Saturnalia shoppers. So, that was my cue to leave. As I was driving to Hawai'i Kai, I noticed a truck drive past me that looked like my bro's truck. In the bed was a big-ass box ... a Sony® HD widescreen tube. From the size of the box, I estimated that it was at least a 42-incher. When I observed that the driver was going in exactly the same direction that I was, I realized that he was indeed my bro.
I made my way to Koko Head Park. I brought my pathetic lunch (i.e., a banana and a cup of granola) with me. Essentially, I wandered around the park exactly as I did yesterday. I sat in various locations. After 2.5 hours of that benign activity, I drove to Koko Marina. After finding parking, I walked to the gym, performed my usual workout, treated myself to two Cheesy Double Beef Burritos at Taco Bell®, shopped at Foodland, and returned to Slob Manor (read: rental housing) by 5pm.
I was pretty much settled in with my Toshiba® Satellite notebook computer when the power went out at 6:45pm. I shut down my computer gracefully. Then, I stumbled around to locate my generic magneto flashlight (made in China) that was stuffed in my storage gym bag. I walked outside and noted that the power outage stetched as far as the eye could see. A few minutes later, I meandered down the side street where my truck was parked. I used the truck's radio to listen for any news. The story at the time was that lightening had hit a transformer and triggered the shutdown of almost the entire island's electrical power network. Only Makakilo and Kapolei had power. There were no time estimates for restoration of service. The big earthquake of two years ago (see October 15, 2006 "blog") was last time there was an island-wide power outage. Service was not restored for 14 hours.
With nothing else to do, I decided to ride the bus to town at 8:45pm. Along the way, the bus picked up quite a few people. Where were they going? Almost two hours had elapsed since the power failure began, yet there were myriad fools driving around in their 4000- and 6000-pound motorized chairs (read: automobiles). I, myself, was certainly not going to drive, what will all of the traffic signals out of commission and all.
Town was completely dark when I alighted the bus. Fortunately, I brought my generic magneto flashlight with me. I made my way to the Post Office to retrieve my mail. Well, that's a good time to receive the news that the "condotel" unit was once again $350 short of breaking even. In addition, there was an invoice for $200 charging me for sheets and linens. That's the new ploy of the Aqua management to suck more money out of the owners.
I waited for the next bus heading back toward Hawai'i Kai. When all was said and done, I was back in my squalid room at Slob Manor by 11pm. The power was still off. Sushant, the Indian guy, and his sister were already back and asleep. I attempted to go to sleep, but I was bothered by the stupidity of the power outage. I assumed that the power would be off for at least 14 hours again. I was even more perturbed that all of my perishable foods would probably have to be discarded. What a waste!
I spent most of the time in the Barnes & Noble® Café sipping decaffeinated coffee and perusing a few magazines. The store eventually was overcome by a mob of bargain post-Saturnalia shoppers. So, that was my cue to leave. As I was driving to Hawai'i Kai, I noticed a truck drive past me that looked like my bro's truck. In the bed was a big-ass box ... a Sony® HD widescreen tube. From the size of the box, I estimated that it was at least a 42-incher. When I observed that the driver was going in exactly the same direction that I was, I realized that he was indeed my bro.
I made my way to Koko Head Park. I brought my pathetic lunch (i.e., a banana and a cup of granola) with me. Essentially, I wandered around the park exactly as I did yesterday. I sat in various locations. After 2.5 hours of that benign activity, I drove to Koko Marina. After finding parking, I walked to the gym, performed my usual workout, treated myself to two Cheesy Double Beef Burritos at Taco Bell®, shopped at Foodland, and returned to Slob Manor (read: rental housing) by 5pm.
I was pretty much settled in with my Toshiba® Satellite notebook computer when the power went out at 6:45pm. I shut down my computer gracefully. Then, I stumbled around to locate my generic magneto flashlight (made in China) that was stuffed in my storage gym bag. I walked outside and noted that the power outage stetched as far as the eye could see. A few minutes later, I meandered down the side street where my truck was parked. I used the truck's radio to listen for any news. The story at the time was that lightening had hit a transformer and triggered the shutdown of almost the entire island's electrical power network. Only Makakilo and Kapolei had power. There were no time estimates for restoration of service. The big earthquake of two years ago (see October 15, 2006 "blog") was last time there was an island-wide power outage. Service was not restored for 14 hours.
With nothing else to do, I decided to ride the bus to town at 8:45pm. Along the way, the bus picked up quite a few people. Where were they going? Almost two hours had elapsed since the power failure began, yet there were myriad fools driving around in their 4000- and 6000-pound motorized chairs (read: automobiles). I, myself, was certainly not going to drive, what will all of the traffic signals out of commission and all.
Town was completely dark when I alighted the bus. Fortunately, I brought my generic magneto flashlight with me. I made my way to the Post Office to retrieve my mail. Well, that's a good time to receive the news that the "condotel" unit was once again $350 short of breaking even. In addition, there was an invoice for $200 charging me for sheets and linens. That's the new ploy of the Aqua management to suck more money out of the owners.
I waited for the next bus heading back toward Hawai'i Kai. When all was said and done, I was back in my squalid room at Slob Manor by 11pm. The power was still off. Sushant, the Indian guy, and his sister were already back and asleep. I attempted to go to sleep, but I was bothered by the stupidity of the power outage. I assumed that the power would be off for at least 14 hours again. I was even more perturbed that all of my perishable foods would probably have to be discarded. What a waste!
Thursday, December 25, 2008
Saturnalia 2008
I was up and about fairly early this morning. First on the agenda ... wash my Nissan® Frontier truck. Holidays are always a good time to wash my truck. And, I cleaned the interior with my Dirt Devil® Quick Power® handheld vacuum cleaner. Second on the agenda ... perform the dreaded laundry chores. That left nothing else for me to do for the rest of the day, and the time was only 11am. Sheesh! I made another attempt to gain redemption for my DeLonghi® "retro" contact grill and panini press. I carefully constructed the same panini that I made yesterday. I used more marinara sauce and spread the latter evenly on both pieces of bread. The panini actually tasted good. What is missing, of course, is a coating of virgin olive oil on the exposed sides of the bread (before grilling). Incidentally, I can also use the DeLonghi® "retro" contact grill and Panini press to cook regular grilled sandwiches, burritos, and quesadillas. I have nixed the blasphemous idea of using it to grill meats or fish. If it was a plain George Foreman® grill, then, yes, I would cook anything on it. However, we are talking about the DeLonghi® "retro" contact grill and Panini press, for goodness sake.
At noon, I drove West to Hawai'i Kai. I spent 2.5 hours at Koko Head Park. I meandered from one place to another. I sat on various benches. I observed nature. I ruminated about life. What more can I say? Without the gym, though, I was at a loss to derive any sense of purpose. I ended up at Koko Marina for no apparent purpose at 2:30pm. I wandered around and noted that only a few places were open for business. Rather than attempt the jaunt to Safeway® in Kuapa Kai, I simply purchased a pack Futomaki Sushi at Kozo Sushi.
I was back in my squalid room at Slob Manor (read: rental housing) by 3:30pm. I took a shower in the filthy bathtub. Fortunately, I had sprayed it down liberally with chlorine bleach two days ago. There are only two days in the entire year that I don't shower at the gym. The rest of the day? Can you say, "Same ol' shit"? Let's wax nostalgic for a bit. Here's an excerpt from the "blog" of two years ago:
At noon, I drove West to Hawai'i Kai. I spent 2.5 hours at Koko Head Park. I meandered from one place to another. I sat on various benches. I observed nature. I ruminated about life. What more can I say? Without the gym, though, I was at a loss to derive any sense of purpose. I ended up at Koko Marina for no apparent purpose at 2:30pm. I wandered around and noted that only a few places were open for business. Rather than attempt the jaunt to Safeway® in Kuapa Kai, I simply purchased a pack Futomaki Sushi at Kozo Sushi.
I was back in my squalid room at Slob Manor (read: rental housing) by 3:30pm. I took a shower in the filthy bathtub. Fortunately, I had sprayed it down liberally with chlorine bleach two days ago. There are only two days in the entire year that I don't shower at the gym. The rest of the day? Can you say, "Same ol' shit"? Let's wax nostalgic for a bit. Here's an excerpt from the "blog" of two years ago:
I am the lone wanderer. A non-celebrant of Saturnalia. A monk. Some may even call me "Scrooge." I had nowhere to go, nothing to do, no one to see on this day. I received no Saturnalia presents. No Saturnalia cards. No phone calls. No manic moments. And, I was happy for that. On the positive side, I was not popping medication to sedate my shopping withdrawal. And, I did not become bored with the crappy gifts that I thought I really wanted. I will not have to face a huge credit card debt next year. Merry Saturnalia! And, "good will" to all!Nothing has changed, eh? In any case, I have a few snacks and a carton of Meadow Gold® Egg Nog (non-alcoholic) to pass the night away along with my Toshiba® Satellite notebook computer. What more do I need?
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Panini Putz (Reprise)
Another day in Hawai'i Kai found moms and I at Koko Marina. Moms and I ate lunch at Yummy's Korean Barbeque. Then, moms shopped at Foodland. Later, moms served up Foremost® vanilla ice cream for dessert. I departed at 12:30pm.
I spent only a little time at Koko Head Park. Then, I drove back to Koko Marina, parked my Nissan® Frontier truck, walked to the gym, and performed my usual workout. The gym was closing at 4pm this afternoon, so I had to expedite my schedule. I sat outside for the longest time on one of the benches overlooking the parking lot. The place was a madhouse. I waited until the commotion settled. Then, I did my own grocery shopping at Foodland. Sadly, there was still a decent sized mob there, and the fools were all acting up. I eventually exited the store and was glad to return to the squalidness of Slob Manor (read: rental housing).
I finally unboxed my DeLonghi® "retro" contact grill and panini press. Thus, I specifically purchased panini ingredients when I was at Foodland including Tutu's deli-style bread, Crystal Farms® sliced provolone and mozzarella cheese, and a bottle of Classico® marinara sauce. I anticipated an excellent panini while I was heating up the grill. Sadly, I was disappointed by the bland result. Even more disappointing was the fact that I had spent over $20 for the ingredients. I am now hard-pressed to determine the disposition of the DeLonghi® "retro" contact grill and panini press. Should I donate it to Goodwill?
A few people may assume that I am a lousy cook. That's not so, my friends. However, as you may recall, I have discovered that most food is inedible. The reason? The food itself is either carcinogenic or poisonous. Knowing that fact has significantly reduced my acceptable list of food. Cheese is a marginal food item as well. So, what left? Should I commence eating poisonous or carcinogenic food? Or, should I use the DeLonghi® "retro" contact grill and Panini press to toast bread slices?
I spent only a little time at Koko Head Park. Then, I drove back to Koko Marina, parked my Nissan® Frontier truck, walked to the gym, and performed my usual workout. The gym was closing at 4pm this afternoon, so I had to expedite my schedule. I sat outside for the longest time on one of the benches overlooking the parking lot. The place was a madhouse. I waited until the commotion settled. Then, I did my own grocery shopping at Foodland. Sadly, there was still a decent sized mob there, and the fools were all acting up. I eventually exited the store and was glad to return to the squalidness of Slob Manor (read: rental housing).
I finally unboxed my DeLonghi® "retro" contact grill and panini press. Thus, I specifically purchased panini ingredients when I was at Foodland including Tutu's deli-style bread, Crystal Farms® sliced provolone and mozzarella cheese, and a bottle of Classico® marinara sauce. I anticipated an excellent panini while I was heating up the grill. Sadly, I was disappointed by the bland result. Even more disappointing was the fact that I had spent over $20 for the ingredients. I am now hard-pressed to determine the disposition of the DeLonghi® "retro" contact grill and panini press. Should I donate it to Goodwill?
A few people may assume that I am a lousy cook. That's not so, my friends. However, as you may recall, I have discovered that most food is inedible. The reason? The food itself is either carcinogenic or poisonous. Knowing that fact has significantly reduced my acceptable list of food. Cheese is a marginal food item as well. So, what left? Should I commence eating poisonous or carcinogenic food? Or, should I use the DeLonghi® "retro" contact grill and Panini press to toast bread slices?
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Ponzi Putz
I received e-mail from long-time reader Danno (formerly of Puerto Rico), which is a partial reason why I engaged in a mini-diatribe in the "blog" yesterday. He has expressed concern for my ultimate welfare, that is, what the future has in store for the ol' lavahead. I am, of course, quite concerned about that myself. Currently being "retired" and being robbed blind by the "system," I have been reduced to worry about how long I can hold out in the empire. There is almost no question in my mind that I will have to expatriate myself to another land in order to survive. The empire has become a cold and crafty place, one where the elite class is expanding its pogrom to systematically devastate the lower classes of peons. I already know that I may not survive when the already terrible conditions worsen.
Another urban nomad kind-of-a-day has been remummified for archaeological purposes. We know the urban nomad itinerary. We know the drill. As I continued to read Robert Parry's book, "Trick or Treason," in the inner courtyard of the library, I experienced what some might call an "epiphany." In reading the sordid details of corruption ... what, with all that dirty money being tossed around ... I realized that I had no idea about the origin of funds for such operations. The clue only came to me when the name Bernie Madoff popped into my consciousness. Madoff has the dubious distinction of being labeled the modern-day Charles Ponzi for the massive fraud that he perpetrated. Yet, is Madoff really the king of the Ponzi schemers? I think not.
We are living through the greatest financial Ponzi scheme every concocted right here and now, and it is being perpetrated upon us by the empire and its shills in the so-called "mainstream media." First of all, there is no economic growth in the empire. Real growth has been negative for a long time. Why? Take a good look at the national debt. It's in the trillions of dollars now. What that means is the empire's government has been subsidizing the entire economy. Thus, almost all earned income is either derived directly or through "trickle down" from some kind of government funding. That's the only way a high standard of living can be maintained in an economy essentially devoid of real capital. And, even that is not enough considering that consumer debt is also in the trillions of dollars. The bottom line is that we have no GNP or GDP. Both are zero.
The empire's Ponzi scheme is also a "double jeopardy" of sorts. Taxpayers must eventually, in theory, pay off the national debt (as well as consumer debt). Therein lies the real problem. We are looking at a very long-term collective debt slavery. In addition, the empire's Ponzi scheme explains why the banks and other dubious financial institutions had to be "saved." If not, the whole Ponzi scheme would have collapsed. And, the empire would have fallen overnight. Banks and even dubious financial institutions hold the empire's debt instruments. Had the banks been required to liquidate, how would the empire buy back the debt? No can do.
I have moved up my workout schedule by a day since the gym will be closed during Saturnalia. Sushant, the Indian guy, and his sister left for the Big Island this morning. They will be there for a couple of days. Thus, I have a reprieve from the usual nonsense. Thank goodness.
Another urban nomad kind-of-a-day has been remummified for archaeological purposes. We know the urban nomad itinerary. We know the drill. As I continued to read Robert Parry's book, "Trick or Treason," in the inner courtyard of the library, I experienced what some might call an "epiphany." In reading the sordid details of corruption ... what, with all that dirty money being tossed around ... I realized that I had no idea about the origin of funds for such operations. The clue only came to me when the name Bernie Madoff popped into my consciousness. Madoff has the dubious distinction of being labeled the modern-day Charles Ponzi for the massive fraud that he perpetrated. Yet, is Madoff really the king of the Ponzi schemers? I think not.
We are living through the greatest financial Ponzi scheme every concocted right here and now, and it is being perpetrated upon us by the empire and its shills in the so-called "mainstream media." First of all, there is no economic growth in the empire. Real growth has been negative for a long time. Why? Take a good look at the national debt. It's in the trillions of dollars now. What that means is the empire's government has been subsidizing the entire economy. Thus, almost all earned income is either derived directly or through "trickle down" from some kind of government funding. That's the only way a high standard of living can be maintained in an economy essentially devoid of real capital. And, even that is not enough considering that consumer debt is also in the trillions of dollars. The bottom line is that we have no GNP or GDP. Both are zero.
The empire's Ponzi scheme is also a "double jeopardy" of sorts. Taxpayers must eventually, in theory, pay off the national debt (as well as consumer debt). Therein lies the real problem. We are looking at a very long-term collective debt slavery. In addition, the empire's Ponzi scheme explains why the banks and other dubious financial institutions had to be "saved." If not, the whole Ponzi scheme would have collapsed. And, the empire would have fallen overnight. Banks and even dubious financial institutions hold the empire's debt instruments. Had the banks been required to liquidate, how would the empire buy back the debt? No can do.
I have moved up my workout schedule by a day since the gym will be closed during Saturnalia. Sushant, the Indian guy, and his sister left for the Big Island this morning. They will be there for a couple of days. Thus, I have a reprieve from the usual nonsense. Thank goodness.
Monday, December 22, 2008
Remummification (Continued)
Another typical Monday found moms and I gallivanting around Hawai'i Kai in my Nissan® Frontier truck. Moms shopped at Longs® in Kuapa Kai. Moms and I too a break and ate lunch at Panda Express® in the Hawai'i Kai Towne Center. Finally, moms shopped for groceries at Foodland in Koko Marina. Later, Moms served up Foremost® coffee ice cream for dessert. Incidentally, moms and I were supposed to have gone to Ala Moana Center today. However, moms' dental appointment was canceled for some reason.
I departed at 1:20pm. I spent a little time at Koko Head Park. The solitude and natural surroundings allowed me to regain my bearings, as it were. I am simply amazed at the natural beauty and self-sufficiency of the planet and its lifeforms. Only humans have been trying very hard to bring ruination upon the earth. Well, we already know the drill for the rest of the afternoon, eh? I ended up back at Koko Marina to perform my usual workout at the gym and shop at Foodland. I was back in Slob Manor (read: rental housing) by 5pm.
Moms and I were privy to witness the Saturnalia shopping spectacle firsthand. Even at tiny strip malls like the Hawai'i Kai Towne Center, the crowds of Saturnalia shoppers resembled crazed zombies in search of prey. The zombies in their 4000- and 6000-pound motorized chairs were speeding around the parking lot, oblivious to any pedestrians. Rudeness and incivility were operating at a fever pitch. Shoppers perhaps feebly attempted to curb their spending during these troubled times, but they finally gave in to temptation at the last minute. As Carolyn Baker observed:
One of the mandates of the exodus is that I minimize my consumption patterns, limiting myself to basics for survival. Obviously, I still possess things and property that are diametrically opposed to that mandate. Often, the incongruence of the latter gives rise to strong feelings of hypocrisy. Subsequently, pangs of despair follow. There is no psychopathology involved. Such feelings are bound to occur in anyone who moves against the grain of the prevalent culture. There are times that I have browbeaten myself because I visualize how I have not become materially successful. I did not follow the traditional path, the very one that is decomposing in front of many people's eyes right now as the "system" collapses.
I am still residing amongst the economically franchised (or, perhaps, just mere "posers"). They are all living high on the hog while offering up blood sacrifices to their god, the sinister kahuna. So easily I forget that they have sold their souls for material comfort. I, on the other hand, am traveling the path least followed. Although the journey seems have become discombobulated (i.e., I appear to be going in circles), the net displacement is still positive and in the right direction. I have come to settle my obligations as well, which will take time. These sacrifices remain important to me. Although I will essentially give up some of my precious "good" years, I do not perceive any regrets. However, the time is coming when I will no longer be tied to any obligation. That, my friends, is where we are heading. The unknown will soon become known.
I departed at 1:20pm. I spent a little time at Koko Head Park. The solitude and natural surroundings allowed me to regain my bearings, as it were. I am simply amazed at the natural beauty and self-sufficiency of the planet and its lifeforms. Only humans have been trying very hard to bring ruination upon the earth. Well, we already know the drill for the rest of the afternoon, eh? I ended up back at Koko Marina to perform my usual workout at the gym and shop at Foodland. I was back in Slob Manor (read: rental housing) by 5pm.
Moms and I were privy to witness the Saturnalia shopping spectacle firsthand. Even at tiny strip malls like the Hawai'i Kai Towne Center, the crowds of Saturnalia shoppers resembled crazed zombies in search of prey. The zombies in their 4000- and 6000-pound motorized chairs were speeding around the parking lot, oblivious to any pedestrians. Rudeness and incivility were operating at a fever pitch. Shoppers perhaps feebly attempted to curb their spending during these troubled times, but they finally gave in to temptation at the last minute. As Carolyn Baker observed:
I believe that it's not a stretch to conclude that for some, the inability to consume may be creating a fundamental existential crisis in terms of losing one's identity. This would certainly explain the bizarre violence that occurred at the Long Island Walmart on Black Friday a few weeks ago where an employee was trampled to death. If consumption "rewards" human beings with a positive identity as well as the sense of financial security, then it is nothing less than an extremely powerful addiction. Withdraw the addictive substance or activity-or put it on sale at 70% off, and many people will behave like the street junkie who will do whatever it takes to score his next fix.The spectacle of over-consumption was sickening. I have lamented many times that my own life has been characterized by my shopping patterns. Essentially, that is all that I and every other zombie or satanic gargoyle in the empire performs in ritualistic fashion. Consumption is our only role after all of the superficial crap is cast aside.
One of the mandates of the exodus is that I minimize my consumption patterns, limiting myself to basics for survival. Obviously, I still possess things and property that are diametrically opposed to that mandate. Often, the incongruence of the latter gives rise to strong feelings of hypocrisy. Subsequently, pangs of despair follow. There is no psychopathology involved. Such feelings are bound to occur in anyone who moves against the grain of the prevalent culture. There are times that I have browbeaten myself because I visualize how I have not become materially successful. I did not follow the traditional path, the very one that is decomposing in front of many people's eyes right now as the "system" collapses.
I am still residing amongst the economically franchised (or, perhaps, just mere "posers"). They are all living high on the hog while offering up blood sacrifices to their god, the sinister kahuna. So easily I forget that they have sold their souls for material comfort. I, on the other hand, am traveling the path least followed. Although the journey seems have become discombobulated (i.e., I appear to be going in circles), the net displacement is still positive and in the right direction. I have come to settle my obligations as well, which will take time. These sacrifices remain important to me. Although I will essentially give up some of my precious "good" years, I do not perceive any regrets. However, the time is coming when I will no longer be tied to any obligation. That, my friends, is where we are heading. The unknown will soon become known.
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