Day of Samhain 2026

Last week, the discovery was made that one of the tiny screws securing the bottom panel of the MacBook Neo appeared to be loosening. So, on Monday afternoon, upon return to Waikiki from town, the decision was made to take the Neo to the Apple® Store in Ala Moana Center. The trip to the mall was quite pleasant with few people on the bus.

At the Apple® Store, one of the technicians attempted to tighten the screw, but to no avail. The problem appears to be a manufacturing defect. Of course, the main reason for the visit was to download the MacOS 27.2 update using the free wireless hotspot in the store. The huge download took over 30 minutes with the fairly slow network. The iOS and WatchOS updates were accomplished earlier in the day using the free wireless hotspots in the Makai Mall food court and the gym. The ride back to Waikiki from the mall afterwards was equally pleasant.

MacBook Neo Indigo

The notion of divesting the MacBook Neo has been dispelled. The Neo is an excellent computer for general purpose use. There’s a lot of “housekeeping” required to maintain it. However, there’s no substitute for a real computer. Not even an iPad can replace it. And, most importantly, there is no notch in the display.

On Tuesday, the first significant phase of the upcoming “shock to the system” was witnessed firsthand at the Target® store in Waikiki. The price of the beloved Orowheat® multigrain bread increased 95% since yesterday. The Bumble Bee® canned salmon is now $7 (up $2.50). Well, there is no sane rationale to purchase a $8 loaf of bread, so the latter will be removed from the diet (and reflected in the approved food list). The good news is that the personal diet will be completely free of vegetable oils. The canned salmon will still be purchased at the new exorbitant price, since two meals can be squeezed out of one can.

“Shrinkflation”

The current expectation is that nearly all food products will see similar price increases (50% to 100% or more) in the days to come. Dining out will become an extremely ridiculous venture. Most of the shitty meals are already over $20 now. There’s no way to even imagine paying $30 to $40 for the exact shitty meal (after “shrinkflation”). And who is to blame for this? Why, “Orange Bad Man,” Benzion “Butcher of Gaza” Mileikowsky, and their foolish war on the Islamic Republic of Iran, of course!

The Levant

Larry Johnson has recently reported that, according to his sources, the new war plan (term used loosely) approved by “Orange” calls for a ground invasion of at least two islands ringing the Southern coast or Iran. The ground invasion will be in coordination with the bombing of civilian infrastructure, transportation, as well as power generation and desalination plants. “Orange” is already a war criminal several times over, so why not go all the way (to hell)?

The Iranian military command (IRGC, Iranian armed forces, and navy) are fully prepared, although no preemptive measures will be taken. Iranian intelligence is expecting the renewed aggression to occur next week. The Iranian leadership has promised a strong asymmetric response which will, no doubt, trigger the “shock to the system” as most of the Levant literally goes up in flames.

The weather has begun to cool off here in Hawai’i. There were moderate rain showers on Wednesday and Thursday, which caused some minor inconveniences. Well, the Winter season is coming soon.

Day of Samhain Cosplay Hotties

The Day of Samhain was uneventful. The usual itinerary was followed, although the afternoon outing to the International Marketplace was deliberately mummified. All necessary food products were procured at Target® on Friday. The shopping mall will be completely overrun by the annual “Trick or Treat” event for keiki (read: “kids,” young and old). No plans were made to view the annual Day of Samhain event along Kalakau’a Avenue either. Way too much excitement for a decrepit old codger. Sheesh!

Miscellany: Day of Samhain dinner included Bush’s® baked beans and a plain bagel. Sitting on the Room Essentials® dish chair in the mausoleum in the “old folks home” was the highlight of the evening.

Addendum: A couple of possible bread alternatives have been identified … Artisano® wheat bread and generic multigrain bread, both around $5 or so.

2 Men 8 Sak’

Young Hotties in Hawaii’i

The resumption of the Ramadan War is expected within a two-week span. Iranian intelligence officials are certain of the upcoming attack by empire and the Zionist colony. The long-awaited “shock to the system” is coming!

The fire alarm in the “old folks home” in Waikiki was triggered twice last week, on Monday and Wednesday at 9pm and 10:30pm respectively. The system is apparently still malfunctioning. Brief conversations with neighbor Ignacio ensued during the ordeal.

Ignacio apparently fell late Tuesday night and was unable to get up. He was helpless on the floor in his place for two hours. He was finally able to shorten his cane and prop himself up. He is now considering a device that can quickly summon emergency services with a touch of a button. Ignacio is also experiencing more heart problems with three new medications prescribed.

The fire alarm was falsely triggered again at 4:20am this morning. The renovated system is apparently malfunctioning again. Very few of the senior citizen residents are even bothering to evacuate the building. That could prove deadly in the event of a real fire. The disruption of sleep was reason enough to reduce the intensity of the gym workout for the day.

The clean-up of the mausoleum has commenced (sort of). The process has been very, very slow. For example, the original box for the Cuisinart® microwave oven is still sitting on the floor and functions as a table, even though the warranty on the appliance expired over a month ago. The box for the Dirt Devil® Grab & Go handheld vacuum cleaner is also laying around. Only one (of three) small storage boxes was emptied and discarded so far.

A dilapidated milk crate was found abandoned near the trash dumpsters last week. The milk crate was washed and cleaned as best as possible. It now holds all of the bottles of cleaning products, and sits in the shower stall. The bottles were previously lying on the floor in the bathroom. None of the cabinets and drawers in the mausoleum are used for storage. Everything is out in the open, giving the mausoleum a definite ghetto-ish appearance.

The daily itinerary remains the same, although the afternoon shopping trip to Target® in the International Marketplace is not daily in occurrence. If only a couple of food (or other) products are needed, a quick run to Target® ensues upon arrival back in Waikiki from town. So, no separate jaunt is required.

Too much time is being spent in the mausoleum. The only descriptor that comes to mind … “sickening.” There is absolutely nothing to do in the mausoleum except sitting on the Room Essentials® dish chair, piddling around, or doing the usual laborious chores. Incidentally, the air conditioning unit in the mausoleum runs continuously upon arrival in the afternoon (usually 2:30pm) from town until about 6:30am the following morning. The thermostat is set to 80^o F and seems to make sleep a little more restful.

Gym workouts remain the same, quite astonishing given the advanced age of the participant. The workouts are, however, becoming incrementally more fatiguing by the day. The diet remains the same, although not all of the food products on the approved list (refer to the Notes post titled, “Clinic 2026 Update”) are purchased or consumed.

The Beats® Studio Pro headphones and MacBook Neo mostly remain in their original boxes again. There’s not much use for either given the current state of affairs. Very pathetic.

Miscellany: The statement from the dermatology office was received. The $35 copayment was remitted.

Discoverer’s Day 2026

Angel Youngs

Another no-holiday holiday … Columbus Day, Discoverer’s Day, Indigenous Peoples Day … has come and gone. So, why not “discover” hurdy-gurdy hottie, Angel Youngs instead?

The nice weather was interrupted by heavy rain on Wednesday afternoon and continued through Thursday. The excess moisture caused the humidity to rise to 88% and resulted in another heatwave. Hotter than Angel Youngs? Obviously not.

The bout with “COVID” … errr, the common cold … continued until Friday last week. The overall duration of the illin’ event was two weeks. The Watch Series 9 logged higher resting heart rate and breathing disturbances as expected. Incidentally, HRV and AFib History appear to be somewhat useless after the WatchOS 27 update.

A chance encounter with neighbor, Ignacio, occurred last week as well. He was “beside himself” because he was yet to receive his mail-in ballot for the November (s)election. “We got to win,” he said, obviously referring to the Republican candidates. Ignacio is a devoted supporter of “Orange Bad Man” and the despicable fool’s policies.

Retirement has been less than ideal. The invocation of strict dietary constraints has made dining out impossible. Not having to prepare meals is one of the main perks of retirement. Truly pathetic. Otherwise, the itinerary remains the same. How long that itinerary can be maintained is anyone’s guess.

The wait for the “shock to the system” continues. So far, no sign of duress. The situation continues, unaffected by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz and the widening war in the Levant (Ansarallah versus the Saudi-backed PLC). The alleged “diesel agreement” between empire and the Russian Federation appears to be another public relations stunt by “Orange.” It will do little to mitigate the diesel shortage.

Addendum: The iCloud e-mail account has been rendered useless by thousands of “spam” e-mail being delivered to it from Japan of all places. The latter predicament is a result of the horrendous data breach chronicled previously in Notes.

Illin’ & Chillin’ 2026

The first suspicious omen was a rapid series of sneezes during the workout at the gym on Saturday afternoon. Sneezing ten consecutive times is not normal. Later that evening, a sore throat developed. The pain increased steadily such that sleep was impossible. A supply of Up&Up® Severe Throat Drops is always kept on hand. However, the latter barely reduced the pain. Another bout with “COVID” … err, the common cold?

Fatigue was the theme for Sunday. The workout at the gym was laborious. The sore throat continued throughout the day. Once back in Waikiki, the decision was made to purchase Cēpacol® Extra Strength throat lozenges at Target®. During the checkout, the point-of-sale terminal stopped the purchase and requested ID (to be verified by an employee). Since ID was not carried to the store, the employee confiscated the product. ID for cough drops? What kind of bullshit is this? So, another sleepless night ensued with the Up&Up® throat lozenges again offering little relief.

On Monday morning, the fatigue was severe. Nonetheless, the regular itinerary was not cancelled. A reduced workout at the gym was planned. During the morning stopover at Ala Moana Center at 9am, an asshole carelessly drove through the pedestrian crosswalk which was clearly marked by red stop signs. After nearly being run over by the dickhead, an atrial fibrillation (AFib) event was triggered. Peak heart rate was 147bpm.

The duration of the AFib event was exactly six hours. It ended at 3pm while sitting on the Room Essentials® dish chair in the mausoleum in the “old folks home. The AFib events had continued through the extremely reduced workout at the gym, and the early bus ride back to Waikiki. The sore throat had gradually abated throughout the day, although a “runny nose” replaced the latter..

Foolishly, the latest updates for iOS and WatchOS were downloaded and installed using the free wireless networks in Ala Moana Center and the gym (even though the AFib event was raging). The MacOS update for the MacBook Neo was done later on Monday evening in the mausoleum. The ability to update the Neo using the iPhone personal hotspot was a pleasant surprise. Why was it not able to do that for the last few updates?

Tuesday was a normal day. Quality of sleep was better, although nasal congestion and the need to constantly expel the mucus caused multiple disruptions. The Up&Up® throat lozenges are also used as a nasal decongestant because of its active ingredient, menthol. Unfortunately, repeat dosages must be two hours apart. The gym workout returned to normal.

Chronic “runny nose” developed by evening. The nasal mucus had be expelled every ten minutes, which raised concerns about extreme nasal congestion while attempting to sleep. The idea of making a special trip to Longs® in Ala Moana Center was briefly entertained. The purpose? Procure a bottle of Sudafed (pseudoephedrine HCl) decongestant. Instead, the emergency stick of Vicks® VapoInhaler® was located and deployed along with the Up&Up® throat lozenges. The nasal congestion and “runny nose” ceased until Wednesday morning. Then, the next phase, post-nasal drip, and resultant coughing commenced.

Both Wednesday and Thursday were more of the same … “runny nose,” drowsiness, mild post-nasal drip, and coughing. No aches, muscle cramps, or headaches this time. Most likely, the latter symptoms will persist for up to three weeks. The aforementioned mitigations will continue for the duration of the illin’ event. The end of the ordeal will be posted later in Notes for the record.

The weather made an abrupt change on Wednesday with mild precipitation and occasional heavy rain showers. By the way, public transit is even worse during inclement weather, with numerous cancellations on multiple routes. The cancellations are already intolerable on good days.

The Beats® Studio Pro headphones are being deployed almost daily. After each use, the device is folded and put back into its travel case. The Studio Pro headphones are very flimsy. The build quality is mediocre at best. So, folding and unfolding the device is likely to cause cracks in the plastic headband and the hinges. The device will then be discarded.

The Music Player “app” was installed on the iPhone 16 Pro subsequent to auditioning the latter, Foobar2000, and VLC. Music Player was the most simple with the smallest “footprint,” although it uses Liquid Glass elements. The media player incorporated in the Files “app” was sufficient, but file management is not possible when the media player is running.

Addendum: Another symptom of the common cold, phlegm, emerged on Friday. The post-nasal drip has ramped up. At least the rain has passed. Weather is now nice and sunny.

Flummox 2026

On Sunday, an attempt was made to schedule an appointment for the renewal of the Hawai’i driver’s license before the expiration on Ol’ Lavahead Day. Alas, the earliest appointment is during the second week of January next year. Obviously, the license will have expired by then. What kind of chicanery is this?

Another atrial fibrillation (AFib) event occurred on Thursday at 12:25pm, right in the middle of the first part of the cardio workout at the gym. The chaotic heart rate was almost unnoticeable, so the cardio workout was actually completed. However, the second part of the cardio workout was scuttled. A quick return to Waikiki was made shortly afterward since there were no bus route cancellations. Peak heart rate was 139bpm.

The ordeal ended at 4:25pm, exactly four hours in duration, upon return to the mausoleum in the “old folks home” after the usual brief afternoon shopping outing to Target® in the International Marketplace. A bottle of BodyArmor® Lyte was procured and consumed during the trek. At this point in time, there is no reason to believe that the sport drink caused a return to normal heartbeats. In addition, there is no identifiable trigger. An AFib event is just a pathetic random occurrence.

New HRV Data Plot

Subsequent to the iOS 27 and WatchOS 27 updates, the HRV data in the Health “app” has changed significantly. Compare to the HRV data depicted in the Notes post titled, “Anatomy of Atrial Fibrillation.” How are all of those data points possible? The Watch Series 9 only samples heart rate (hence, HRV) every 15 minutes or so. Only the new Watch models are able to sample every six seconds. Perhaps the data will be resolved differently in the new Health “app” coming in the iOS 27.1 update.

The local bank is undergoing major changes, the majority of which will take effect late next month. The bank is losing its local flavor as evidenced by the fact that it now operates under the State of California legal regime. Many of the perks for the personal checking account are being rescinded. Time to transfer everything to a different bank?

The fire alarm systems in both buildings in the “old folks home” will be completely renovated next Monday. The false alarms that have occurred randomly for years were obviously triggered by faulty equipment.

The new Beats® 360 headphones debuted on Thursday. Many people were able to purchase the $350 headphones for $200 at Target® (allegedly a “glitch” in pricing). Many complaints have surfaced concerning a noticeable background hiss. There is no personal interest in acquiring the new headphones. The Studio Pro headphones in possession are currently getting more use anyway, and there’s no background hiss.

Addendum: The gym workouts, particularly the cardio segment, is proving to be quite fatiguing. Over-exertion may now be an issue.

Miscellany: The deranged Caligula-like performance in the United Nations this week by “Orange Bad Man” was an utter embarrassment. No comments are necessary. The grotesque spectacle is a testament unto itself.

5 Kawak 12 Ch’en

After a seven-week hiatus, a major atrial fibrillation (AFib) event occurred on Wednesday commencing at 5:15pm upon return to the mausoleum in the “old folks home” in Waikiki after the usual outing to Target® in the International Marketplace. The walk was nearly unbearable because of the current heatwave. Peak heart rate was 138bpm. No trigger has been identified, although dehydration is a distinct possibility. One of the emergency bottles of BodyArmor® Lyte was consumed to no avail. The duration of the event was 5.25 hours. Well, back to “Square One” with this latest setback.

The fire alarms in the building at the “old folks home” has gone rogue. Two instances occurred on Sunday, the latest being 9:30pm. On Monday, the alarm went off at 4am. On Tuesday, 4:30pm was the recorded time. The Fire Department usually arrives about 30 minutes after the alarm first sounds. In the past, the incidents were attributed to residents cooking (read: burning) food with their doors open. However, the latest incidents apparently implicated random residents on the fifth floor who not cooking or smoking cigarettes. Thus, the alarm system itself is malfunctioning. Well, at least the false alarms allowed for chats with neighbor Ignacio.

The mystery of the missing neighbor at the “old folks home” has been solved, but the story is somewhat tragic. According to Ignacio, the neighbor is apparently in the hospital and has been there for almost three months. He will not be returning to the “old folks home” upon release. Instead, he will be transported to an assisted care facility.

The workaround using Always On Display has been successful. The iPhone 16 Pro now responds properly. The problem with Dark Mode for the “app” icons was also solved. The only new issue is that system indexing has stalled at 33% since Tuesday. And, after some research, the discovery was made that most Apple® Intelligence features can be disabled in individual “app” settings. Siri AI features can be curtailed through Screen Time, or by not joining the current waitlist.

Well, the highlight of the week has been the free renewal of the Target® Circle 360® annual membership ($100 value). The offer appeared in the “app” (on-line account) just three days before the expiration. Wheee!

On a dark note, the “shock to the system” seems to be imminent. Diesel and aviation fuel prices have been rising significantly. There’s no telling when the “tipping point” will occur. Just bring it on already!

Miscellany: The only excitement in the mausoleum is surprising the cockroaches at night and shuffling the varmints into the garbage disposal for a grinding demise.

Addendum: The waitlist for Siri AI has been joined for both the iPhone 16 Pro and the MacBook Neo. The AI bullshit is already “baked in,” the decision is essentially moot.

Surprise & Shinola

All of the updates for Apple® products were made available on Monday morning. Needless to say, the whole day was spent downloading and installing iOS, MacOS, WatchOS, and new AirPods firmware. The iOS 27 update was mostly accomplished through iPhone cellular data. The MacOS 27 update for the MacBook Neo was initiated using the free wireless network in the Makai Market food court in Ala Moana Center. After an hour, only one-sixth of the huge file was downloaded. The WatchOS 27 update was partly downloaded there, and the remainder was downloaded during the workout at the gym.

The thought of having to transport the MacBook Neo to Ala Moana Center and carry it around all day for six consecutive days was regarded as foolish. So, a trip was made to the Apple® Store in Ala Moana Center on Monday afternoon. The MacOS update was downloaded within an hour, and the installation was performed upon arrival at the mausoleum in the “old folks home” in Waikiki. Serious consideration is being given to divest the Neo when the trade-in option becomes available early next year.

The iOS update appeared to be successful. However, later in the evening, a few “bugs” made themselves manifest. The dark mode for “app” icons is no longer functional. And, worse, Tap To Wake became sporadic. About half of the time, the iPhone 16 Pro would not respond. Pressing every button randomly for two or more minutes would finally revive the device. Even putting the device on charge did nothing. The only two possible workarounds were … one, disable the lock screen … or, two, enable Always On Display mode. In other words, the display cannot be allowed to sleep as the iPhone could easily be “bricked.” For security reasons, the latter option was chosen. Overall, a very pathetic situation.

To add insult to injury, the toggle to disable all Apple® Intelligence features was removed. The AI bullshit is now completely “baked in” for all devices. The only feature that can be disabled is Siri AI (for now) by not joining the wait list. Well, that’s the culmination of the Apple® “Surprise and Shine!” event. Very disappointing surprises. No shine.

Addendum: The new three-band equalizer for AirPods was auditioned. The goal was to simulate the “sizzle” of the Beats® Studio Pro headphones. The result? “Close, but no cigar.” Actually, the equalizer is just a more granular version of the Headphone Accommodations pre-set equalizations.

Postscript: The term, “ always on display,” is misleading. The display shuts off under certain conditions. However, some of the sensors remain active continuously. The tradeoff is battery drain of about 2% for every eight hours of inactivity.

Fuck It Friday - 37

Ansarallah

Fuck It Friday! Sporadic news and commentary of no interest to anyone ... September 11th edition. Yes, this is Fuck It Friday!

Well, September 11th is here. All of the alternative Web sites are publishing elaborate content about the deadly hoax that comprised the fateful day. The legacy journal discussed the issue ad nauseam, so there’s no need to rehash any personal opinion. Fuck it!

What is of relevant interest, though, is the strong offensive that was launched a couple of days ago by the Yemeni Armed Forces (YAF, primarily Ansarallah) against the Saudi-backed proxy government forces (read: mercenaries). Ansarallah has now gained control over the city of Mokha and the Port of Al-Ardhi, effectively nullifying the Saudi naval blockade. The YAF has also seized Zuqar Island (and Mayyun Island amongst others), which means that Ansarallah now has total control over the Strait of Bab al-Mandab. The Saudi East-West oil pipeline has been shut down after the facility was targeted by multiple drone strikes. Currently, the source of those strikes is alleged to be the Iraqi Resistance. Nonetheless, Saudi Arabian oil exports are now close to zero. Fuck it!

The effects of the Ramadan War continue to ripple through the Levant. The foolish and illegal war launched by “Orange Bad Man” and Benzion “Butcher of Gaza” Mileikowsky has redrawn the map of the Levant, and has now effected the closures of the Straits of Hormuz and Bab al-Mandab. Prior to the war, both were fully open to maritime traffic. What exactly were the two war criminals thinking? They really “fucked up.” Fuck it!

The Apple® “Surprise and Shine!” event has come and gone. There was little personal interest in the event or the new products. The price hikes alone made the event unpalatable. Of course, the iOS and MacOS updates are slated to arrive next Monday. Fuck it!

The heatwave continues in the islands with the trade winds returning on Friday. Humidity has been extremely high since the passing of the two hurricanes. The air conditioner in the mausoleum in the “old folks home” in Waikiki must be run continuously during occupancy. Fuck it!

All of the laundry rooms in both buildings of the “old folks home” now feature new washers and dryers. The appliances no longer accept coins. Several cashless payment methods will be available. Thus, the personal stash of quarters was deposited in the local bank account on Thursday. Fuck it!

The Cologuard® test results were negative. So, more good health news for now. Hopefully, the reduction in foods containing vegetable oil will yield many more positive health outcomes. Of course, no one believes the claim that vegetable oil is deadly. Discussing the latter with the usual rank-and-file peons will only result in “raised eyebrows.” Fuck it!

On the topic of vegetable oil, Karl Denninger claims that he no longer suffers from sunburn (when outside for an extended period of time) after completely removing vegetable oil from his diet. Although anecdotal, his claim is entirely credible. Fuck it!

Addendum: The best analysis of the extremely successful Ansarallah offensive appeared on the PressTV site. Note that the URL domain is different because the site certificate was revoked by certain “Western” regimes.

Slave Labor Day 2026

Waiting for Hurricane Lowell

The appointment at the dermatology clinic was scheduled for Wednesday last week (on the advice of the attending physician at the Ohua Clinic). Minor rain showers wreaked havoc with public transportation. Nonetheless, the trek was made to town with ample time to drop off the gym bag at the gym and alight the Route 4 bus to the Queen’s Hospital physicians’ office buildings complex at the top of the hill.

After completing the usual paperwork, about 30 minutes elapsed after the scheduled appointment time. The consultation with the dermatologist spanned about four minutes. He examined the (former) skin lesion and declared that it was benign. No full body inspection was offered. Medical “quackery,” you think? The appointment will have an out-of-pocket cost of $40 at the least. The brevity of the appointment did not warrant a dedicated Notes post.

The MacBook Neo was unboxed about a week ago to perform the latest MacOS updates. However, the Neo failed to list any updates and indicated that MacOS was up-to-date. Something was not right. So, on Friday of last week, the Neo was prepared for transport in the Under Armor® backpack (originally procured for the iPad Pro M4). The stopover at the Makai Market food court in Ala Moana Center was dedicated to exploiting the free wireless network to download the update. And, had the update fail again, a short walk to the Apple® Store to consult the Genius Bar was the planned contingency.

Fortunately, the update and installation was completed, albeit slowly, with no problems. Of course, the situation is quite fluid, given that future MacOS updates may require frequent transporting of the MacBook Neo to Ala Moana Center. There’s no indication about why the tethering to the iPhone 16 Pro no longer functions. Perhaps the divestiture of the iPad was a mistake. Is the time ripe to divest the Neo?

Gym workouts remain consistent. The focus on the cardio portion of the workout has been successful. Time on the elliptical machine has been currently set to a total of a 50 minute ceiling for both parts. An average of 120 strides per minute has been attained. The former lamentation about the inability to “break a sweat” is now moot.

Brief (i.e., 1.5 seconds or less) atrial fibrillation (AFib) and single instance notched T-wave events have been occurring more frequently and randomly. There have been no major AFib events since July 20th. Once again, the only change has been the steep reduction of foods containing vegetable oil.

There has been nothing to do and nowhere to go in the evenings. The idea of dining out was entertained, but reality quickly prevailed. There’s no way of knowing the actual ingredients of any menu selections. Most likely, there’s a lot of sodium, sugar, and vegetable oils. Sadly, the personal restrictions on those particular ingredients rules out dining at all establishments.

Bars, nightclubs, and theaters are of no interest. The associated costs are beyond the personal budget. That only leaves shopping. Well, there’s no more interest in wasting money on useless junk. There’s plenty of useless crap lying around in the mausoleum in the “old folks home” in Waikiki. Frankly, sitting in the Room Essentials® dish chair all night is akin to a slow death. Well, that’s modern life, eh?

The mausoleum is currently infested with small cockroaches. The roaches migrate from other units on the same floor. That’s why the varmints know the exact layout of the kitchen. The lights in the mausoleum are off all evening. Every hour or so, the light in the range hood is activated to surprise the roaches. The varmints are awkwardly shuffled into the garbage disposal in the sink. Roaches versus garbage disposal … guess who wins? Baha! Ha! Ha! Haaa!

The neighbor directly across the hallway from the mausoleum is still MIA. No one knows his whereabouts. One of the maintenance guys had entered the unit a few weeks ago to troubleshoot the fire alarm. Foul play is now suspected, even if self-inflicted.

The neighbor was a quiet man, a loner. He did not socialize with other tenants, and he was never accompanied by family or friends. Hmm, sounds familiar, eh? Perhaps he was disillusioned by having residence in the middle of a huge shopping mall. He may have chosen a hasty exodus (sans all personal possessions) to a new life in a new land.

Another no-holiday holiday, Slave Labor Day, has come and gone. The Summer season is officially over. Hurricane Lowell is moving Northward and will pass the West end of the Hawai’ian island chain without making landfall. Moderate rain is expected. Otherwise, same itinerary. Same ol’ shit. Could be worse, though.

Addendum: A pint of Häagen-Dazs® strawberry ice cream was purchased on Saturday, the first one in a very long time. Häagen-Dazs® is true ice cream, not a “frozen dessert.” It is also the only ice cream that does not list any vegetable oils in its ingredients. Saturated fat and sugar are not a problem in moderation.

Unexciting Stories - 10

Unexciting stories … sporadic news and commentary of no interest to anyone. Mundanity is always the primary focus. Let the unexcitement begin …

Tropical Storm Moke completely bypassed the islands. No rainfall, and no gusty winds. The heatwave, however, continues unabated. The air conditioner in the mausoleum in the “old folks home” in Waikiki runs continuously upon arrival from town in the afternoon until the next morning,

A new Cologuard® colon cancer screening kit was received on Monday. The samples were taken early Tuesday morning, boxed up, and dispatched to the UPS Store® in town. Will it be rejected again?

The skin cancer candidate has gone through a strange metamorphosis. Over the course of three days (commencing on Tuesday), the scaly aberration fell off in two pieces. Only the old man spot remains. The aberration did not look like a scab. Nor was there any observed injury to cause a scab to form. So, a message was dispatched to the attending physician at the Ohua Climic on Thursday to ask whether the dermatology appointment should be cancelled.

Quality of sleep degraded significantly commencing on Monday. The cause is unknown. However, spending so much time in the mausoleum has probably taken a toll on the psyche. The boredom would drive anyone “nuts.” There’s no real furniture. The decor is similar to a prison cell. Well, it’s a mausoleum.

The original factory box for the Cuisinart® microwave oven is still sitting on the floor next to the Room Essentials® dish chair in the mausoleum, almost a year since the latter was purchased. It serves as an end table of sorts. How much more pathetic can the mausoleum decor get?

All Proton services (VPN, mail, etc.) were down globally on Wednesday morning for several hours. That was a first for Proton. The cause was identified as a cooling failure at its Frankfurt data center. To its credit, Proton had all services operational by the evening.

Filter cleaning for the air conditioner in the mausoleum occurred on Thursday afternoon after the alert indicator lit up on the front panel the night before. The cooling radiator was also cleaned and vacuumed. The flow control grilles for the outflow duct were also removed. Lots of black crap was observed inside the appliance.

Previously, the assumption was that the latter comprised the accumulation of dirt and dust. Only a modest attempt was made to clean it. However, for some reason, this time the assumption was that the latter was actually black mold. So, a spray bottle of Up&Up® Cleaner + Bleach was procured for $3.50 (not on sale) at Target® during the afternoon outing. Sure enough, upon liberally spraying the entire outflow duct, the black crap disappeared. So, dangerous black mold was allowed to fester all this time. Sheesh!

Addendum: The latest time estimate for the inevitable “shock to the system” was upward revised to 30 days from now by reliable sources.