More Tales From Sand Island

Sand Island Homeless Shelter

A scheduled appointment at 10am on Friday July 21st with the new case manager, Sara, was attended. A two-hour wait for a three-minute meeting that was simply an introduction. The gesture was appreciated nonetheless.

An anonymous haole "guest" had initiated a conversation about a week or so ago. He came to Hawai'i many moons ago to work in the construction industry. A horrific vehicle accident left him with serious permanent injuries which were confirmed by direct observation. Subsequent chats centered on the changes adversely affecting the islands. Then, he disclosed that he was returning home to Georgia on Friday. He will be reunited with friends and family.

Dinner at the Sand Island homeless shelter falls between 5:30pm and 6pm which leaves only a small window of opportunity for participation. Weekends are usually the only time that attendance was feasible due to traffic and time constraints. The need to attend dinners was primarily for minimal exposure to the "guest" population. However, the nutritional value of the meals is questionable, more so given the prediabetes problem. At this point in time, attendance at dinner is a low priority.

An anonymous female "guest" mentioned that there are 78 "guests" staying at the Sand Island homeless shelter. Oddly, only the same 15 or so "guests" are seen daily during the time of presence at the facility. Where are the others?

Smoking cigarettes is a major activity at the facility. "Guests" are observed in the designated smoking area all day and night. The cost of a pack of cigarettes is over $10 per pack. Yet, the "guests" seem to have adequate funds to sustain the habit.

There was an initial fear that the housing specialist would expedite housing placement, but that no longer seems to be the case. The anonymous female "guest" was matriculated into the program over a month ago. And, as stated in the previous footnote, many "guest" have been staying at the facility for several months. The anonymous haole "guest" was matriculated in January.

There is actually some kind of governing council comprised of "guests" who collectively make decisions about benign issues. The current president is moving into allegedly permanent housing, so the vice president is replacing her.

The new annex to the facility is slated to open on August 12th. There are six new converted shipping containers for a possible increase of up to 18 "guests." There has been some concern within the ranks of the current "guests" because their needs are apparently not being met right now. What will happen when there are more "guests"?

Tales From Sand Island

Sand Island Homeless Shelter

Keeping a low profile has been maintained. Only one attempt has been made to interact with any of the other "guest." A gregarious Filipino guy, yet anonymous, is the first gateway to understanding the workings of the Sand Island shelter. Yesterday, prior to dinner, he had a run-in with Bobby, an African-American staff member, who was already suspect as being a two-faced dickhead.

The anonymous Filipino buddy was queried this morning in the community tent about the duration of his stay. Two months, he said. He has not been homeless, but was on the verge of homelessness due to complications related to late stage kidney disease. He has retained an attorney to obtain disability benefits and retroactive wages.

Later, an African-American woman and veteran, chatted with the anonymous Filipino buddy. The overhead conversation revealed and substantiated many of the observations made in the past two weeks, some of which are posted in previous footnotes. Overall, she detailed some of the bad conditions at the facility and the problems with the wage slave staff members. Of particular interest, though, was the issue of housing placement. She mentioned that she has been "guest" for three months, the long duration most likely because of problems with obtaining SSI and veteran's benefits.

Problems with the wage slave staff members, incidentally, involve inconsiderate and unprofessional behavior towards "guests." The African-American woman has observed more appalling behavior. Pilfering by wage slave staff of donated hygiene products and food for the "Continental Breakfast" was also witnessed. Wage slave staff should not be confused with case managers and housing specialists. They are low paid workers who are probably close to homelessness more than they are aware.

There are a number of employed "guests," some working at two wage slave jobs, that was confirmed by the African-American woman. Yet, they have not been placed into housing. Thus, there is legitimate cause for concern. More investigation is necessary.

As more stories from Sand Island are heard, the latter will be posted in the footnotes. More observations, as discovered, will also be posted.

Fuck It Friday - 5

Fuck It Friday (FIF)! Sporadic news and commentary of no interest to anyone ... FIF! The Sand Island homeless shelter is the primary focus of this edition.

Two weeks have elapsed since the initial matriculation into the Sand Island homeless shelter. The original feelings of despair have subsided. Now, a subdued elation has superceded the latter. A feeling of freedom, true freedom, has come to the forefront. So much so that the original priority of finding "permanent" senior citizen housing has been sublimated. Fuck it!

There are numerous inconveniences associated with homeless shelter living ... the tiny "guest" cell, the long walk to the communal bathrooms, the need to store possessions in the homeless motorhome, the noise from the adjacent shipping ports. Yet, none of those inconveniences have detracted from the elation of perceived freedom. Fuck it!

The Sand Island facility is the "four-star" homeless shelter on the island, although people on the outside would find the environment totally dismal, almost pitifully laughable. Yet, the humble campus begets individual humility.

Humility has been a core byproduct of the whole experience. Becoming a documented homeless person is the equivalent of a public declaration of extremely poverty and full exposure as a member of the lowest caste of society. In that respect, the objective has been met.

There is, of course, now the possibility that expedited housing placement will occur. Such a prospect has generated much anxiety and melancholia. The return to the dreadful existence of the rank-and-file is, and has always been, unacceptable. Fuck it!

Changes in Venue

Coffee time at the various fast food joints in town and at Zippys in Hawai'i Kai has been mummified for the duration of stay at the Sand Island homeless shelter. Coffee time will now be observed at the Sand Island homeless shelter during "Continental Breakfast."

Dinner at various venues will be curbed in favor of the meal served at the Sand Island homeless shelter (although a large salad will still be procured to balance the meal). Incidentally, there seems to be no correlation between the types of meals and prediabetes symptoms as alleged in a previous footnote.

The aforementioned revisions are subject to change at any time without notice.

Appointments

Two appointments back-to-back this morning with case manager and housing specialist at the Sand Island homeless shelter. Lots of paperwork. So, a paper trail has definitely been created. In other words, homelessness has been fully documented.

The housing specialist has outlined a fast-track plan involving initial placement in conventional senior citizen housing while concurrently commencing the process for HUD (30% of income) housing. Section 8 vouchers may also be an option. Exit from the facility may occur before the end of the month.

There are a number of long-term "guests" at the Sand Island homeless shelter. As it turns out, all of them have various disabilities that prohibit placement in housing that lacks 24-hour supervision. Hence, they may remain "guests" indefinitely. The housing specialist stated that there are no plans to recruit more of those special needs "guests"since the facility is supposed to be a "housing navigation" center.

The meeting with the case manager continued to increase the size of the paper trail. The case manager is there to provide assistance for issues aside from housing. At this point in time, no such issues exist.

The Nissan® Quest minivan has continued to serve as homeless motorhome. Worldly possessions are still stored inside. Many daily tasks have also been reassigned to mobile deployment.

The stay at the Sand Island homeless shelter has been a humbling experience and one that has increased personal clarity. In some respects, eventually moving out of the facility will be a sad affair. As odd as it may seem, the facility is the best "close to home" in a long time.

More Diet Modifications

The possibility of moving toward the consumption of more vegetable salads is increasing as there appears to be some kind of ingredient in Panda Express® cuisine that triggers frequent nocturnal urination. That's the theory anyway. Even junk food doesn't cause the problem. In any case, a temporary moratorium on Panda Express® will be invoked as a trial.

Since the new daytime staging area for the Nissan® Quest minivan is Kahala Mall, the option of procuring supposedly wholesome meals from Whole Foods® is viable. Expensive, but delicious.

Psyllium has been reinstated as an adjunctive supplement to curb LDL cholesterol. Psyllium is good source of soluble fiber, so it offsets carbohydrate intake as well (reducing blood sugar).

Life on Sand Island

There is no question that the Sand Island homeless shelter is not a resort or spa. It is a transitional shelter for chronic homeless people. Yet, it is oddly comfortable. Aside from the amenities detailed in the previous footnote, there are few other perks. Two meals are served daily, a small "Continental Breakfast" in the morning and dinner in the early evening (three full meals are available at the Iwilei homeless shelter as an option). There is even a barbeque area with gas grills. Small cooking appliances are available in the community tent as well.

Community Tent at Night

In addition, the "guests" are not required to leave the facility during work hours on weekdays. Yet, there is no compelling reason to stay there during the day.

Unfortunately, there are no laundry facilities available. So, dirty laundry must be transported to an off-site laundromat. The cost of performing laundry chores at laundromats in the area is prohibitive. Thus, laundry chores will be lengthened to two weeks.

One aspect of the stay at the Sand Island homeless shelter has been the need to relearn humility. In all honesty, that goal is slowly being attained. In empire, there is no lower class of people than the homeless. Impoverishment, high reliance on entitlement programs, and the need for social services separates the homeless strata from the rest of "mainstream society."

The homeless strata is free of the usual trivial and malignant concerns of the rest of "society," although it is not free of its own kind of problems. A safe assumption, though, is that the majority of the homeless desire to move "up" to the next caste, although unbeknownst to them is the sickening trap that awaits them.

The stay at the Sand Island homeless shelter has invoked some real "soul-searching." The issue of mortality remains at the forefront. The fear of "permanent housing, especially senior citizen housing, is strongly correlated to the concept of the "home" really being a mausoleum in disguise.

Sand Island Homeless Shelter

Matriculation into the homeless navigation program at the Sand Island homeless shelter was completed on June 30th. A small cell was assigned, one of three per converted shipping container (refer to pictures in Twitter® feed).

Sand Island Homeless Shelter

The first full night was fraught with numerous policy violations committed by various "guests." Only one "guest," apparently drunken and disorderly, was escorted off the facility.

Noise is the focal point of the facility, both internal and external. "Guests" were milling around all night long. The designated cigarette smoking area continually hosted numerous "guests." Outside the facility, the entire composition of Sand Island is heavy industry. Major shipping ports are also stationed there. The Daniel Inouye International Airport is a stone's throw away. So, high-decibel noise is constant. Quality sleep is an issue.

The Sand Island homeless shelter was constructed on an industrial site. No telling what kind of toxic waste exists in the soil of the artificially created island. Air quality, though, is good.

Community Tent

A community tent sits in the middle of the facility. A small LCD tube is available to view a surprising number of premium channels. A "Terra Nova" marathon ensued for two days. Unrestricted wireless Net access is also available in the community tent. The range of the Wi-Fi transceiver actually covered some of the cells.

“Guest” Quarters

The cells for single "guests" are small. A small cot is provided, which takes up half of the space. There is a small window, too small for adequate ventilation. However, a secure mesh screen door enables the cell occupant to leave the door open for increased ventilation.

Four full bathrooms and six small "porta-john" units are separately located. Waking up to "drain the lizard" is a cumbersome process, but workable.

An air-conditioned trailer is provided for the staff. Someone is on duty 24 hours per day in the office. Some staff members are quite friendly and helpful. A small minority appear to be lightly hostile.

The "guests" are an eclectic mix, but there clearly is no question that they have previously been on the streets or motorhomeless. A casual observer may become confused concerning the viability and possibility of placing any of them in permanent housing. Only time will tell.

Fuck It Friday - 4

Fuck It Friday (FIF)! Sporadic news and commentary of no interest to anyone ... FIF! The fucked prediabetes situation is the primary focus of this edition.

The previous footnote describes the current dilemma. Of note, modifying dietary constraints was the only variable left in curbing prediabetes. Unfortunately, the curse of prediabetes has already usurped the conventional prescription (i.e., modified diet, weight loss, and exercise). There are no options remaining. Fuck it!

One last feeble attempt using more stringent dietary constraints will be applied. A further reduction in carbohydrates and residual sugar will be made. The possibility of cutting out carbohydrates completely exists, but the latter option is most likely impractical. Fuck it!

Prolonging the onslaught of diabetes is a worthwhile endeavor in the senior citizen years. Diabetes would completely devastate any senior citizen, not to mention accelerating death. Ailments associated with diabetes are painful and debilitating, made even worse with increasing age. Fuck it!

Edging Toward Diabetes

The six-month follow-up medical appointment yielded disappointing results. Blood work was done about a week prior. The results indicate that prediabetes symptoms have worsened with fasting blood sugar now in the midrange (as opposed to low borderline a year ago). And, that's with the new modified diet in place during the interim.

Worst yet, a deliberate attempt was made to skew downward the fasting blood sugar by restricting the prior evening meal to a grilled chicken salad, a tiny chicken sandwich, and a handful of almonds for a snack (all low carbohydrates and no sugar). Unfortunately, the ploy was not successful.

Weight remains eight pounds lower than a year ago. Workouts at the gym have continued unabated. The new modified diet remains intact. So, there are no other variables to tweak. Either there is some kind of pancreatic malfunction or insulin immunity has taken hold. In any case, a projected time frame for the onslaught of Type 2 diabetes is nine months given the current rate of increase in blood sugar.

70-ish Homeless Guy

The 70-ish homeless guy was graced by a visitor this morning at Zippys in Hawai'i Kai. The visitor is apparently a creditor of some sorts, an acquaintance or friend who loaned the 70-ish homeless guy $6,000 or more. The visitor, a decade or so younger than his debtor, was not in a good state of mind. The visitor was completely flustered while demanding repayment.

The 70-ish homeless guy, oddly enough, "turned the tables around" quickly on his hapless creditor. He stated that he would pay $1,100 tomorrow. Then, he shut down the creditor with a few other tidbits, all the while raising his voice. "I gotta go. See you tomorrow," he abruptly told his buddy. Then, he stood up and walked off. The creditor sat at the table with a stunned look on his face for several minutes.

The 70-ish homeless guy had nowhere to go except back to his beat-up Nissan® Sentra that was parked in the rear corner stall of the Koko Marina parking structure. He was observed to be napping shortly after the confrontation.

The 70-ish homeless guy apparently only receives $900 per month income, most likely Social Security. He has taken out loans to fund his "business." The 70-ish homeless guy spends nearly every waking moment in front of his notebook computer. He stares endlessly at Excel® charts. At first, the charts were thought to be that of stocks. As it turns out, he is a currency (FOREX) day-trader.

The 70-ish homeless guy has a daughter who is apparently married to a loser of sorts. The daughter is also in financial dire straits. Therefore, he could not approach his daughter for financial help. That's what he told his creditor, possibly before realizing that he was creating a vulnerability. That's when he quickly assumed control of the conversation with his creditor, by the way.

The 70-ish homeless guy is wasting his time. He could have checked into a homeless shelter, upon which a case worker would have assisted him in obtaining SNAP food subsidy, senior citizen SSI entitlement, and possibly housing. Instead, he is "camping" in his beat-up automobile and hedging on FOREX.

Addendum: The 70-ish homeless guy has been smelling a little "ripe" lately. He is probably taking cold showers at the beach every few days, but he likely relies upon waterless bathing wipes. His clothes are another source of odor. There are no laundromats in Hawai'i Kai, so he probably washes his laundry by hand at the beach and drapes the laundry over his automobile to dry.

General Noriega - RIP

General Noriega, the ol' lavahead's doppelgänger, has passed on. Yet another icon, albeit shady, from the ol' lavahead's era. Sadly, many more icons have passed on recently, including Greg Allman, Powers Boothe, and Roger Moore. Too many, actually, and a tragic reminder of mortality at work. There will be no more “tweets” on Twitter® about any other icons passing on subsequent to that of General Noriega.

General Noriega

Mortality, of course, includes precursor events such as testosterone depletion and the atrophying of the Vienna Sausage. The negative effect of the latter will be the gradual deprecation of pictures of young hotties in the Twitter® feed. Of course, increased “senior moments” may lead to the mummification of the entire feed.

Addendum: The proto-neo-con(man), Zbigniew Brzezinski, also passed on recently. In his case, good riddance!

Homeless Decision Redux

The homeless decision has resurfaced as the result of a personal visit to the IHS housing office located next to women's shelter. The housing specialist there called the housing specialist at the Sand Island homeless shelter. An e-mail was received from the latter, which also touched upon the feeble excuse used to delay intake into the Sand Island facility.

The Sand Island housing specialist indicated that intake could take place when word is given. Thus, the homeless decision will be effective toward the end of next month at the expiry of the feeble excuse. Once again, the prospect of becoming truly homeless, stigma and all, is here.

There are fears that eviction from the Sand Island homeless shelter could occur at any time because of rule violations or false allegations by other residents. The greatest fear is that the housing specialist would not be able to make placement into suitable affordable housing. Then, eviction onto the streets will be inevitable. Of course, placement into horrid housing environments could be an even worse scenario.

Once the departure from the 'Nalo studio rental is accomplished, there will be no turning back. Of course, the 'Nalo studio rental has always been understood to be temporary. Eventually, homelessness would ensue. So, contingency planning is a must.

Internment at the Sand Island facility is the first contingency. Planning for the purchase of a "cheap" condominium unit is the second contingency and must be established within the initial 90-day tenure at the homeless shelter. While assurances were given that an extension is possible, there are no guarantees.

Futile Plea For Help

The sad saga of the housing farce continues ... in this episode, a visit was made to the obscure IHS housing office next to the women's homeless shelter on Ka'aahi Street off of Dillingham Boulevard. The small sign outside the one door and windowless entrance simply read, "Housing and Employment Office."

Four people were seated and staring at computer screens, including the front desk person. Three other people were observed coming and going. Making a plea for help was not easily understood by either the front desk person or one of the "housing specialists."

In the end, a photocopied list of various senior citizen rental housing was provided. One of the lists roughly replicated the list provided by the Public Housing Authority. No doubt, the list that is due to arrive by mail from Catholic Charities will be similarly redundant. In all cases, lots of staff people. Why have so many people on payroll when a stack of photocopied lists on a table with a sign reading, "Take One," will suffice?

Providing lists of housing is all that any agency can provide. No other assistance is forthcoming. The matter of income requirements was confirmed, though. Income is all that matters. Other assets do not apply. Hence, no qualifying income, no housing. That's why there are so many homeless senior citizens on the streets.

A surprising revelation was that the rules at the various transitional housing/shelters have changed. Residents can no longer stay for two years. The time is now limited to 90 days, just as the traditional homeless shelters. The rise, of course, is to keep the homeless in constant circulation from to streets to shelter ad infinitum. Refer to previous footnote titled, "Homeless Inc."

In any case, the options have dwindled down to either purchasing a "cheap" condominium or purchasing a Nissan® NV3500 passenger van (homeless motorhome). In either case, the best route for now is procrastination by remaining in the 'Nalo studio rental for as long as possible. That's how totally fucked the housing situation is in Hawai'i.

Chatting with the Senior Citizens

A discussion with fellow senior citizen, Bernard, ensued at the fast food joint in town this morning. Specifically, the topic was senior citizen housing. Bernard resides in a nice senior citizen housing project in Mano'a. He ended up there by happenstance, although years had gone by (subsequent to making application) before he was notified of an opening. He pays $670 per month for a studio rental. What was of particular interest was the confusion surrounding the management of the facility. Vacancies often go unfilled for five months even though the wait list period stretches into years.

Another discussion with fellow senior citizen, Chip, occurred at the gym. The topic was housing and Medicare. Chip has been describing the mess that is Medicare. Most senior citizens have little knowledge of its labyrinth structure. Chip was finally able to discern that $121 is deducted from his Social Security retirement benefits each month for Medicare. That was later verified and specifically for "Part B." The on-going senior citizen housing conundrum was also discussed. The leasehold versus fee simple (or Waikiki versus Makaha) question was also broached with no conclusion drawn.

A few of the senior citizen housing projects have information available on the Net. From what can be ascertained, there are tiers of rental rates with an apartment quota ties to each. Income requirement is two times the tiered rent. Needless to say, many people cannot qualify for a senior citizen rental unit even at the lowest tier. That's why there are so many homeless senior citizens.

During subsequent research, a bit of encouraging information was discovered. Senior citizens over age 65 years are able to apply for SSI (Supplemental Security Income) benefits. That's the same program normally called "disability" benefits for people under 65 years of age. Low income and low resources are the requirements for senior citizens (with some exclusions). In other words, it's time start hiding assets.

Fuck It Friday - 3

Fuck It Friday (FIF)! Sporadic news and commentary of no interest to anyone ... FIF! The fucked housing situation in view of end-of-life issues is the primary focus of this edition.

The two-week attempt at receiving assistance from Catholic Charities has ended with absolutely no results. A listing of senior citizen rental housing is on its way by mail. Fuck it!

There will now be a multi-prong approach applied. Another attempt using the homeless ruse will be deployed through the Dillingham homeless shelter housing office. Hopefully, no tenure in an actual homeless shelter will be required. The goal is to circumvent the wait lists for senior citizen rental housing. Fuck it!

Concurrent with the latter, conventional rental housing will be sought out. The rent ceiling has been raised to $1,000 per month, the rationale being end-of-life issues as discussed in a previous footnote. The rent ceiling is also close to monthly outlay for the more rational property purchase option below.

Remaining in the 'Nalo rental studio is an option, but not a good one. Again, end-of-life issues prevail. Evenings upon arrival are spent entirely with the Nexus 6P "smartphone." That is an extreme waste of time given what remains of the "good years." The 'Nalo option is the most cost-effective, of course, but cost-effectiveness is moot in chronic decrepitude. Fuck it!

Purchasing property is another option, but one that must be approached with extreme caution. As a rule, senior citizens should be divesting property, not acquiring it. The only affordable property options are fee simple condominiums in Makaha or leasehold condominiums in town.

The fee simple condominiums in Makaha would be a better option for a 40-year-old single person, the idea being that the condo could be sold in the future and equity cashed out. Overall, it is the most cost-effective purchase option. However, an 80-year-old senior citizen does not need the headache of selling property and looking for another place to reside. Makaha, by the way, is probably not the best place for anyone over 65 years old.

The leasehold condo option is one-way. The leases are too short to allow a sale of the property. In essence, a leasehold property acquisition is for the life of the tenant. There is the option of moving out and securing the services of a property management company to rent out the unit before lease expiry. Why bother unless assisted care is needed? The leasehold condo is not cost-effective and is the equivalent of paying about $1,100 per month in rent. However, the leasehold condos are situated in town, a much more favorable and (possibly) enjoyable environment. Overall, for a senior citizen, the leasehold condo is the better option.

That is the crux of the new strategic plan for housing while taking end-of-life issues into consideration. Fuck it!

End of Life

In 17.5 years, the age milestone of 80 years of life will theoretically be reached. Unfortunately, family antecedents indicate that 80 years may be the upper limit or end of life. Only one blood uncle has lived beyond 80 years of age so far, out of the two remaining (of nine including pops). All passed on because of cancer or other chronic diseases.

A lot of time has been spent in an attempt to discern the age when rapid physical degradation occurs. There is no conclusive data. An approximation of 75 years (plus or minus two years) is about the best extrapolation for the last of the "good years." Musculoskeletal deformations, muscle atrophy, and other traits become more pronounced. The dreaded "senior moments" increase.

Given that kind of data, anecdotal or otherwise, there should be more awareness that the end-of-life stage has already commenced for 60+-year-old persons. Denial, of course, causes people to disregard the facts and continue on the same trajectory of assumed immortality.

Thus, people (usually rank-and-file peons) continue to plod along with a strategy developed (or inculcated by "mainstream" brainwashing) in their earlier years. Retirement is often pushed forward to the end-of-life envelope because of fake actuarial statistics. The fear is that of retiring poor or ending up penniless at an advanced age. The latter and former play into the hands of the "one percent."

The malignant form of denial finds the average aging senior citizen still making sacrifices or still saving for the future. Yet, that same senior citizen could drop dead at any moment. Worse, many senior citizens continue to develop plans based on fake actuarial statistics. They project their plans forward to 100 years of age or immortality.

In summary, the best retirement plan is to "live it up" between age 62 (or 66 years at the latest) and 75 years of age. Beyond that, there's just no telling what will happen. There's a 95% probability of decrepitude of varying degrees (or death) occurring which will be an impediment to full enjoyment.

Life in Senior Citizen Housing

A couple of moons ago, Hoang (formerly-homeless buddy or FHB), provided a brief synopsis of life in the Waialua public senior citizen housing project. He described the place as being extremely quiet. All of the residents are senior citizens except for FHB and another allegedly disable formerly-homeless guy. The residents are caring and concerned, often looking out for each other.

There are frequently available units at the project. Many of the residents move to other public senior citizen housing projects near town. Usually, the most common reason for vacancies at senior citizen housing is death. Not so at Waialua. In general, though, senior citizens are permanent residents until end of life or the need to transfer to an assisted-living facility.

All of the senior citizens at the Waialua project have apartments stuffed with furniture and various possessions acquired over a lifetime. The FHB, on the other hand, only has an air mattress and his bicycle. That's it. Otherwise, his apartment is nearly empty.

FHB rarely comes into town, usually for a medical appointment or to refill prescriptions. He also spends time outside the downtown Starbucks® to use the free wireless hotspot and download bootleg copies of mainstream flicks.

FHB sleeps ten hours per day. He spends most of his waking moments watching his library of pirated mainstream flicks. He also spends time at the Waialua public library. And, one day per week, he rides his bicycle on a three-hour journey around the North Shore for exercise.

Wing It Wednesday - 1

Wing It Wednesday (WIW)! Sporadic news and commentary of no particular interest to anyone ... WIW! The fucked senior citizen housing situation is the primary focus of this edition.

The attempt to circumvent the wait list process for affordable senior citizen rental housing through Catholic Charities (CC) is a failure. There is almost no way to directly contact any person by phone at the other end. A caller must leave a voicemail message. Then, a representative would return the call sometime later. Unless the "smartphone" is carried around obsessively, the return call would be missed. A "phone tag" situation ensues.

Needless to say, CC will only provide assistance to senior citizens who are either homeless or close to being homeless. Other low priority cases can request a list of senior citizens rental housing and make application on their own. The initial intake process for CC is just to get on the wait list to see a "housing specialist" (the same job description for IHS homeless shelter employees).

Is it really worth the time and effort to get into affordable senior citizen rental housing? Gym buddy, Chip, mentioned that he observed long lines of people waiting along Maunakea Street in Chinatown for a couple of days. He surmised that they were waiting to get on the recently opened wait list for a couple of affordable rental housing projects. "Nobody was speaking English," he added.

That's about right. The immigrants, mostly Chinese, appear to have an inside track on when wait lists for affordable housing open up. Thus, most of the affordable rental housing, regular and senior citizen, are populated by immigrants (documented or otherwise). Imagine residing in a high-rise affordable rental project populated by immigrants. Lots of noise, lots of domestic problems, lots of unauthorized occupants.

There are "kapuna" senior citizen rental housing, usually government subsidized, that are much less immigrant-intensive. However, all of those projects no longer accept names on their wait lists. The formerly-homeless buddy resides in such a project in Waialua. Ordinary senior citizen rental housing has its drawbacks as well, mainly lots of decrepit senior citizens. Very depressing.

So, the affordable rental housing situation, especially for senior citizens, is fucked up. The whole housing strategy has been usurped by sheer stupidity. What is the alternative? “Wing it,” of course!

Fuck It Friday - 2

Fuck It Friday (FIF)! Sporadic news and commentary of no interest to anyone ... FIF! The future is the primary focus of this edition.

Very little progress is being made concerning future housing. The option of purchasing a condominium in Makaha has been temporarily shelved. In the interim, various means will be utilized to begin the rental housing search.

After two days of leaving voicemail on the Catholic Charities senior citizen hotline, a response was forthcoming. Hopefully, contact will be made in person with a counselor specializing in affordable senior citizen housing. If not, the housing office at the Dillingham homeless shelter may be another option (without actually having to reside at either the Iwilei or Sand Island homeless shelters).

The future has become a burden. Impoverished retirement is no better than terminal homelessness. What happened to the "Golden Years"? Stolen by the "one percent," of course. Fuck it!

New employees serving food at Panda Express® in Hawai'i Kai has now changed the course of dining. Sometimes the portions are so small that the regular dinner plate could be confused with the tiny kid's meal. On days that the new employees are serving food, a temporary boycott has been established. Fuck it!

The supply of psyllium husks has dwindled down to two daily doses. There are currently no plans to refill the supply. Thus, the use of psyllium as a fiber additive is coming to end. Fuck it!

There's no stability now or in the future. Expect all situations to become more chaotic and possibly more violent. Much of it was predicted in the "blog." Fuck it!

Duping Old Fools Into Bankruptcy

The nightmare of senior citizenship continues. Now, the boondoggle known as Medicare comes to the forefront. Recent research and anecdotal testimony by fellow senior citizens have pretty much indicated that participation in that healthcare entitlement program could easy lead to bankruptcy. Only the affluent can afford a supplemental healthcare plan to offset the high deductibles, fees, and co-payments. Most senior citizens settle for inexpensive plans that end up costing much more.

Many moons ago, the senior citizen healthcare crisis was discussed in the "blog." The conclusion jokingly recommended going broke early on as a means to avoid eventual asset confiscation. As it turns out, the conclusion was absolutely correct as proven by formerly-homeless buddies, Scotty and Hoang. In fact, the best advice for senior citizens is to spend (or hide) everything except $2,000 or less. Affordable senior citizen housing, food subsidies, rent subsidies, "free" supplemental healthcare plans all become available in impoverishment, feigned or otherwise.

The "one percent" have brainwashed the lower classes to believe that saving for retirement, the "nest egg," is very important. Fear is instilled by images of broke homeless senior citizens. Unbeknownst to the fools, the "system" will eventually rob them of their money and wealth anyway. One health crisis, and game over!

Cinco de Mayo 2017

Fuck It Friday! Sporadic news and commentary of no interest to anyone ... FIF! The creepy hegemonic threat of empire is the primary focus of this edition.

The articles cited in the (defunct) Twitter® feed, authored by Dr. Paul Craig Roberts, are essential reading. Basically, Roberts is "spot on." The "missle shield" surrounding both the People's Republic of China and the Russian Federation, along with the empire's puppet NATO troops amassed on the Western border of Russia, are indications of a planned military offensive. The feeble pretense of protection from Iran and North Korea is laughable.

The scenario was actually discussed many moons ago in the "blog." Megalomania has infected the diseased minds of the Neo-Con(men). The fools actually believe that limited global thermonuclear war is both winnable and survivable. The foolish notion has evolved from archaic think-tank research dating back to the 1950s. In any case, the revised scenario appears to be a first strike on Russia with thermonuclear weapons to be coordinated with a ground troop invasion from the Western front. The thinking is that the nuclear strike will rapidly and efficiently eliminate the Russian government and neutralize it's military capabilities. Ground troops will then invade and conquer. China will be spared unless it does not surrender after the Russian carnage.

The insane plan must be invoked within three years, although its success is highly improbable. By 2020, both Russia and China will have upgraded their military capabilities and the insane plan's success will be non-existent.

Why would such a scenario be nothing more than comedy relief? In a previous footnote, the financial state-of-affairs of the "West" was summarized. Debt is accumulating at an exponential rate. ZIRP, NIRP, and QE have removed the dodgy "paper" from bank balance sheets and been placed in custody of the global central banks. Thus, there is no chance of another bank failure.

Thus, there is absolutely no hard "correction" possible for stock market and housing bubbles as well as asset price inflation. So, the bubbles will theoretically continue to inflate to infinity. The real problem is that wealth is flowing exponentially upward to the "one percent." Social inequality is increasing exponentially as well. Eventually, the "system" will collapse into itself because of the sheer weight at the top. The result will not be a "correction," but a complete annihilation of the current form of "casino capitalism."

As discussed in the "blog," there is only one way out. That is, conquer both China and Russia, steal their resources, confiscate their gold reserves, and subordinate their populations. The war "booty" would restore value to the Western currencies and reset the "system." Then, the whole cataclysmic process can commence again, like a malignant tumor. Fuck it!

Incidentally, no revisions have been made to the current financial plan yet. The ultra-conservative portfolio is still the same. As usual, more deliberation is required. Fuck it!

A "last ditch" effort to secure affordable senior citizen rental housing will be made by initiating contact with the senior citizen housing assistance program offered through Catholic Charities. If no progress is made, then only one option remains. Incidentally, the best choice for a really nice affordable condominium on the Leeward Coast is Makaha Valley Towers. Second best is still the Makaha Surfside.

A conversation between two senior citizens living in affordable senior citizen housing was overhead at the fast food joint in town this morning. They were talking so loud that avoiding any eavesdropping was impossible. Anyway, the various pitfalls of living in senior citizen rental housing was interspersed with other topics. Upon hearing what was said, there really seems to be little appeal to living in such places. Fuck it!

Financial Strategy Revamp

Desperation once again wields it's ugly head, or desperate times call for drastic measures? The central bank of empire zero interest rate policy (ZIRP) has caused a $100,000 reduction in financial resources over the past ten years. Those investments have only yielded $2.50 per year in interest and dividends. The conservative approach is obviously not working.

In the meantime, the stock market and housing market has literally gone through the roof. Both are now now huge bubbles. The doomsayers have been predicting a major crash for several years now. However, the bubbles just keep growing. Why?

According to Chris Martenson of PeakProsperity.com, the global central banks have recently accelerated the purchase of dodgy "paper." In the last three months, over $1 trillion has been added to their balance sheets. At that rate, over $4 trillion will be accumulated by year's end. In return, the global central banks allegedly flood the market with "printed" money. Martenson asserts that the massive liquidity has been responsible for pumping up the bubbles. "That money has to go somewhere," he added.

Yet, the protocol of the sleazy "quantitative easing" (QE) policy is to deposit the "printed" money into the reserve accounts of the banks which the dodgy "paper" were acquired. Of course, global central banks are now purchasing stocks and engaging in other questionable practices. So, perhaps money is being loaned for free to the "one percent."

A new investment strategy may reallocate some financial resources to equities. Gains are much higher than bonds or money markets. Yet, the risks are quite apparent. Stocks are very overpriced. In addition, price-earnings ratios are well above 45 in most cases. Valuations are up because of leveraged stock buybacks. Clearly, there is risk.

On the other hand, there does not appear to be any normalization of interest rates on the horizon. Zero or negative interest rates could go on in perpetuity. There also doesn't appear to be a ceiling for debt creation. Public and private debt in empire alone is over $56 trillion. None of that debt can ever be repaid. Yet, the debt keeps accumulating at an exponential rate.

As long as the global central banks continue the sleazy policies, there will be no limit to the bubbles. Nothing could even remotely cause a crash. Stock prices could go to $1 million per share. Tiny houses could become worth over $1 billion no problem. So, is time to take a chance and ride that bubble up into the limitless sky? Yes!

Fuck It Friday - 1

Fuck It Friday (FIF)! Sporadic news and commentary of no interest to anyone ... FIF! The fucked housing situation in Hawai'i is the primary focus of this edition.

No attempt has been made to contact the possible new Realtor® because more research is required before a list of acceptable properties is compiled. The selection of the Makaha Surfside condominium project was a "knee-jerk" reaction to the crisis at hand and may not be the best choice.

Scrutinizing a handful of on-line reviews of the Makaha Surfside project has raised some doubts about its fitness as a candidate. While not a despicable "condotel," it is heavily subsumed by vacation rentals. There are also a number of fixed-income senior citizens residing there (sound familiar?) as well as locals who cannot afford to purchase anything else. The locals are apparently of the lowest caste along with expected poor behavior associated with the latter.

Gym buddy, Mark, who referred his Realtor®, had recently sold his fee simple condominium in Makiki. He used the proceeds to purchase another Makiki condominium in cash, a leasehold unit. The maintenance fee and leasehold rent runs about $1,500 per month. Mark stated that the lease term was good for over 30 years before renegotiation. "I'll probably be dead by then anyway," he said when queried about the rationale behind the swap.

Leasehold condominium units are now possible candidates for purchase. However, low maintenance fee and leasehold rent are primary objectives. Lease length will approximate possible lifespan. There's no need to worry about the outcome of the property upon death.

The fucked housing situation in Hawai'i is the reason why there are so many homeless senior citizens on the streets and crammed into various homeless shelters. Senior citizen rental housing is not affordable no what claims are made. An "affordable" rental studio apartment runs about $800 per month without subsidies. Income requirement is $1,600 to $2,400 depending on the whim of property management. Most senior citizens cannot meet this requirement.

Senior citizens with assets can purchase property such those available in the Makaha Surfside condominium project. Others with no assets are "shit out of luck." Fuck it!

Rental Housing Availability

As of this date, there are only 13 studio rental units available on the shady Craigslist site for O'ahu that are $800 or less per month. No doubt, there are other similarly priced units available through property managers. However, the majority of the studio rentals command $1,000+ per month ($1,200 per month is common).

Rental prerequisites include the usual 1st month rent plus security deposit of same amount. Verified income is about two or three times the asking rent. For a studio listed at $1,200 per month, an applicant must pay $2,400 prior to moving in. An application fee of $10 to $35 (non-refundable) is also charged to the applicant. Verifiable income must exceed $3,600 per month for the latter example.

In comparison, the 'Nalo studio is a detached "ohana" unit. Rent is $650 per month. Furnished. Electricity, cable TV, wireless Net access, air conditioning, and laundry facility included. No security deposit. No lease. No kitchen, though. Only a "wet bar." The drive to Hawai'i Kai is 20 minutes with no stop-n-go traffic. Except for a few short stretches of poor roads, there is little wear-n-tear on vehicles.

The Makaha Surfside studio condominiums being considered are under $95,000 fee simple. The plan is to make an offer to pay $90,000 or less in cash upon closing the purchase. The maintenance fee is $378 per month. Property tax runs about $25 per month the. Electricity will most likely range from $15 to $25 per month. The major drawback is the commute to town. A secondary problem is the seedy nature of the entirety of West O'ahu. Both issues were discussed in the "blog" when a similar plan was devised about 16 moons ago.

Housing Farce

Extensive research last night and the perusal of the "official" low income and senior citizen housing database provided insight into the housing farce that exists in Hawai'i.

First, some background information. Any single person earning $50,000 annually or less is considered a "low income" candidate. Most of the listed housing projects have suspended new additions to wait lists. Rents at the projects are fairly high (e.g., studio apartments range from $500 to $1,500 per month) and monthly income requirements are between two to three times the asking rent. There are some "sliding scale" units but the details were cryptic. There are also housing projects that offer "30% of income" rent, but details were cryptic. Discounted rent most likely can only be obtained through social services case workers. People who have Section 8 vouchers are in the best position and have top priority. Personal assets are not considered, although some housing projects do not allow residents to own outside residential property. Only income is scrutinized (i.e., a millionaire could reside at the projects as long as verified monthly income is below stated limits).

Wait lists are pretty much a joke. Time period can span from two to seven years. Wait list candidates must routinely call or submit in writing their intention to remain active on the wait lists. Case workers for homeless clients, by the way, can completely bypass wait lists.

Several of the housing projects were described as "transitional housing/shelter" aimed primarily at the homeless. The locations sounded familiar. And, rightly so. The formerly-homeless buddy always seems to know where many of the other formerly homeless end up. The approximate cited apartment locations are coincident with the "transitional" projects. Thus, the homeless in traditional homeless shelters (e.g., Kaka'ako, Iwilei, Sand Island) are placed into the "transitional" projects. Housing First funding is used to subsidize the rent for one or two years, which is the maximum length of residency for tenants. Once the two-year limit is up, where do the residents go? Back on the streets?

It is also fairly easy to understand why there are so many homeless on the streets. Even so-called "low income" rental housing requires tenants to earn a multiple of the rent each month. For an "affordable" studio apartment of, say $800 per month, an applicant must earn between $1,600 to $2,400 per month. Little wonder why so many people are working at two or three wage slave jobs concurrently.

Sand Island Blues

Sand Island Homeless Shelter

Really? No, not really. The ploy to stall the intake into the Sand Island homeless shelter backfired ... sort of. Contact has once again been cut off, but there is no loss of sleep over the matter. Who really wants to subsist in a degraded fashion for months? Thus, the long drawn out homeless plans decision is dead. No resurrection is possible.

Homeless Decision Redux

After several days of silence, an e-mail was received from the case worker at the Sand Island homeless shelter. There is an opening available now. Deadline for acceptance is April 10th.

Confusion abounds. What about the application that was discarded? All relevant information including income verification was provided. How can an offer be made without the application? A TB test is also required before residency. How can the offer be made when the missing TB test documentation was made clear to the case worker?

And, of course, the big issue is the matter of assets. No attempt has been made to hide assets as discussed in a previous footnote. Assets are going to be very difficult to explain. Eviction from the Sand Island homeless shelter could be the result.

Sock Puppet

A few weeks ago, a “tweet” was issued from the current Twitter® stating that the metamorphosis of "Donald" into a "same ol' shit" politician. Now, only three months as ruler of empire, "Donald" has become a sock puppet of the Neo-Con(vict)s of the so-called "Deep State."

“Donald”

The entire short tenure of "Donald" was marred by smear campaigns and dirty tactics launched by both corporate-owned political parties and the "Deep State" itself. Gradually, "Donald" capitulated to their demands. However, only a few days ago, the entire "Donald" administration made an abrupt policy change on-line with the "Deep State." What happened?

An abrupt change, including that of appointees and personnel, in a bureaucratic environment can only be provoked by coercion or by forceful means. The "Deep State" may have uncovered "dirt" on "Donald" and forced change by extortion. Or, there may have been allusions to a contrived in-house assassination in the immediate future. In any case, "Donald" is now a full-on sock puppet of the real powers-that-be. He may end up being worse than "Hillary" would have been.

Nihilism 2017

The article by Andre Vltchek is officially titled, "Love and Western Nihilism" and can be found on various on-line archives. The associated “tweet” on Twitter® references one such site. Please read the article in its entirety.

"Western" nihilism and its associated general malaise can be strongly equated to the failed "civilization" paradigm (as discussed in the "blog"). Inequality of all forms, rampant fraud and corruption, insatiable greed ... all lead to narcissism and, eventually, total alienation. Over 70% of citizens of empire are taking prescription analgesics and/or anti-depressants. Only Molech knows how many are abusing illicit drugs, cigarettes, and cheap booze.

The only forms of expression remaining for rank-and-file peons of empire (i.e., lower "ninety-nine percent") is the motor vehicle (read: 4,000-pound motorized chair) and the gun, both of which are used in aggressive and threatening ways (often in combination). Both the latter and former venues give the "owner" a sense of power in the form of road rage and homicidal acts, respectively.

Otherwise, the artificially sedated minds of those fools is deeply engaged in the tiny portal of alternative reality, the "smartphone." All day long, intermittently or bingeing, the foolish mind is distracted by social media, games, or other benign digital media in order to mentally disappear from the current reality. Sooner or later, the mind will snap.

The "civilization" paradigm or "society" can only function properly of inequality is of a narrow bandwidth and fairness prevails. When either construct is distorted or removed, then a glaring dichotomy of oppression results. The underprivileged will be treated more and more like animals, which will provoke the "inner animal" to become manifest. The cycle continues with prescribed doses of diversionary venues and Draconian measures, both alternately used by the privileged to control the underprivileged. Eventually, the methodology fails.

Homeless Plan is Dead

The infamous homeless plan is dead after months of planning and procrastination. After communications was cut off with the case worker from the Sand Island homeless shelter, no effort was made to reconnect. Homelessness is an industry, a "cash cow," for the "douchebags" who run the show.

A revelation by Scotty, former homeless guy and gym member, also insured the embalming of the homeless plan. The various fraudulent schemes deployed by the formerly-homeless buddy, Hoang, is a requirement for receiving homeless services. Even Scotty is engaged in fraudulent and dishonest behavior. That's the way the "system" is designed. Only the most crafty and unscrupulous individuals can receive entitlements. Even honest poor people are forced to go with the "Dark Side," or end up dead or clinically insane on the streets.

Immigration Explosion

The study by the Migration Policy Institute is conservative and possibly flawed. As with most other surveys, the numbers are most likely lower than reality. The number of illegal (undocumented) immigrants in Hawai'i most likely is 30,000 upward.

Filipinos top the list of those immigrants. No question about that. Japanese nationals escaping "Abe-nomics" are in second place? Not likely, unless all of them are clustered in Waikiki.

There are myriad young Japanese women staying in Hawai'i with student visas. They are here to "learn English" (read: find an "American" to marry and become a citizen of empire).

There are way more Chinese, Korean, and Vietnamese immigrants. There can be little doubt that they are undocumented. A large number of Indian nationals are also residing and working here with H1-B visa.

Micronesians do not count as illegal immigrants because of the Compact of Free Association. There are allegedly about 13,000 Micronesians here. When the sea level rises because of global climate change, expect the entire population of Micronesia to relocate to Hawai'i. People of American Samoa, Guam, and the Marshall Islands are also part of the migration mosaic.

There is considerable support for illegal immigrants in Hawai'i, mainly because the latter provides a cheap labor pool. A moderate amount of tax revenue can also be extracted from them. However, illegal immigrants will always be in limbo. Any adverse situation could immediately transfer them to the ranks of the homeless, if they are not there already.

Homeless Inc.

Homelessness is big business and big money for a select few crafty "douchebags." Homelessness is an industry. It creates endless new jobs, usually administrators and case worker positions. That's why homelessness will never be eliminated.

Lots of money, mostly government funding, is infused into the homeless industry. There is also a lot of money and food donations from private sources and people who feel charitable. Yet, the core of all homeless services is completely corrupt and rotted.

Only the minimum number of homeless are navigated into affordable housing. That minimum is the requirement for government funding. The rest of the homeless are sent scurrying around and seeking invisibility after relentless "sweeps." The authorities are only concerned about long-term "camps."

Even though there are hundreds of new homeless appearing in Hawai'i every month (many of whom are immigrants), the solution to the problem is always Draconian. Keep 'em moving. Keep 'em on the run. Keep 'em in fear. Then, the homeless remain invisible during the daylight hours. Like vampires, they only come out at night ... to sleep on the sidewalk or in the bushes.

Many of the homeless understand what's happening. That's why they take full advantage of any "free" services offered. They learn to lie and cheat, just like the formerly-homeless buddy. That's the vicious circle of the homeless industry.

In summary, the homeless situation cannot be solved because the people who are employed by the latter may ... Molech forbid ... end up homeless.

Gym Demographics

Demographics at the downtown gym has changed significantly this year. New people are joining daily at an alarming rate. In January, the onslaught of new members were the "New Year's resolution" crowd, that is, people who join the gym and quit in less than two months. However, the influx of new members has continued unabated.

There are a large number of homeless members, of course. Most of the new mainland empire homeless immediately join the gym in town as directed by "somebody" from their place of origin. Few of the homeless engage in workouts. The gym is merely a hygiene station paid for entirely by disability entitlements.

There are a large number of senior citizens amongst the ranks of the membership, mostly Chinese and Korean. They are in varying states of decrepitude and are most likely taking advantage of "free" sponsored memberships paid for by healthcare providers. There are non-strenuous "Silver Sneakers" classes available. Otherwise, the senior citizens wonder around the gym in bewilderment. Very few have any idea about structured workouts.

Most appalling of all are the myriad new members of the "millennials." Nearly all of them are severely overweight or obese. Even the thirty-something through fifty-something groups are in bad physical shape. Needless to say, any kind of rigorous gym workout is not going to help them. They need to invoke a diabetes-type diet in order to lose weight. There is no sense in building muscle under a thick layer of fat.

Hamster Wheel Revisited

Hamster Wheel

The failed "civilization" paradigm. Religious fanaticism. Materialism. Wage slavery. Debt slavery. Drug (prescription and illicit), cheap booze, and nicotine addiction. Stupidity and Ignorance. These are the many forms of the fake hamster wheel for humans (read: chimpo sapiens). Yet, only one hamster wheel is real -- mortality. Unfortunately, the real hamster wheel is ignored through denial as Earnest Becker described in his landmark treatise, "The Denial of Death."

Why else would humans stupidly continue to reproduce in exponential fashion? Like a rabid cancer, the human population is rapidly approaching 8 billion with little regard for the planet's carrying capacity. And, the true horror is that each individual will have to experience death, the extinguishing of an entire lifetime of consciousness. But, death is not the horror. Growing old slowly, growing more decrepit, and knowing that the day of nonexistence grows ever closer ... that's the true horror.

The answer to the previous question is religious fanaticism ... the belief in a fake deity, the god of the yahweh triad (i.e., Judaism, Pauline Christianity, and Islam). That leads to belief in the immortal soul. Never mind that, as science matures, it proves that all deities are fake.

And, science has shown that the solar system and this planet have about 5 billion years left before the sun goes "red star." The entire solar system will be destroyed. Science has also postulated that the expanding universe will eventually meet its demise through heat death. Temperatures will fall way below absolute zero and atoms will cease to function.

Of course, humans will never survive long enough to see the sun go "red star." The propensity for self-destruction is so great that human extinction is likely in less than one hundred years. So, why invent new fake hamster wheels?

Addendum: "Smartphone" addiction is a fake hamster wheel as well.

First Contact

First contact was made with a case worker from the Sand Island homeless shelter. E-mail correspondence continued until a phone conversation was consummated.

The case worker, Gracie, is apparently a new hire. Her predecessor resigned a couple of weeks ago. There is some discrepancy about how the initial submitted application ended up being discarded. Overall, there appears to be confusion and disorganization. Is there only one housing case worker for over 90 residents of the homeless shelter?

A tour of the facility is now a prerequisite before an applicant can be processed for residency. A tentative appointment for the tour has been set for April 6th. A TB test is also required. Unfortunately, no further information has been forthcoming.

A new application must be submitted, but there has been no information forwarded. Request for waiting list queue time has also been unanswered. In effect, will the homeless shelter gamble pay off with placement in affordable senior citizen housing?

The "Good Years"

Discussion about the "good years" originated in the "blog," which refers to the limited number of years left before an old codger degenerates into decrepitude. Unfortunately, there is no conclusive evidence to generate an accurate time frame.

Observation alone yields widely varying results. Many people "let themselves go" in their forties or fifties. They may find their "good years" terminating prematurely. Thus, the "good years" can only be defined on an individual basis.

For the most part, though, observation seems to indicate conclusively that the "good years" are essentially over by 70 years of age. The rapid decline seemingly occurs during age 65 and 69 years. Muscle atrophy and minor musculoskeletal deformations are common, along with other pedestrian physical aging attributes. More observations will be forthcoming in the near future.

Strategic Plan Revisited

There can only be one goal for a new strategic plan, that is, find affordable senior citizen rental housing immediately. All other issues are moot.

The 'Nalo rental studio is actually a decent place at a decent rental fee, but the time has come to move on. The location leaves a lot to desired amongst other concerns. And, the arrangement is obviously not very long-term.

Senior citizen rental housing presents another set of problems. The tenants are mostly old and decrepit. Emergency medical services are summoned at all hours of the day and night. And, many tenants hastily terminate their leases by "kicking the bucket." Overall, not a very cheerful scenario.

Yet, there's no other choice. Paying "top dollar" for decent regular rental housing makes no sense for a senior citizen. An old codger, for example, only needs a place to sleep.

Unfortunately, there seemingly is only one route to circumvent the eternal waiting list queue ... the homeless shelter. Housing coordinators and case workers at the homeless shelter can expedite the process as testimony from various people have shown. Will a (maximum) three-month stay at a homeless shelter be a worthwhile sacrifice?

Hamster Wheel

There's no way to exit the hamster wheel of life. The failed "civilization" paradigm has insured that all humans will be spinning around the hamster wheel for eternity, that is, until the harsh reality of mortality kicks in.

Hamster Wheel

The failed "civilization" paradigm was honed to suppress the "inner animal" by forcing humans to follow certain rules and laws. At first, imaginary deities were contrived to instill fear in the case of non-compliance. Later, the police state became the tool of enforcement.

Unfortunately, the "inner animal" strives to be free. Mortality forces the issue even further. The "inner animal" knows that death is the only conduit to freedom under the failed "civilization" paradigm. Going full circle, that is why the "civilization" paradigm failed.

Homeless News Blackout

There has been no local media coverage about the homeless for several weeks. Compare that to late last year ... news, usually bad, about the homeless appeared almost daily. What's going on?

A casual and astute observer would probably have been alarmed by the influx of new homeless from the mainland empire as well as new local homeless. The situation is totally out of control. So out of control that a media blackout was established to keep the general public "in the dark."

The authorities have run out of solutions, not that any current solution was viable. There's not enough homeless shelter space. The affordable housing placement program is a sad joke. Most affordable housing for the homeless will only be affordable during the one-year term of Aloha United Way subsidies. Then, back on the streets. Placement numbers are so low anyway, essentially producing no effect on the rising number of homeless.

The authorities have been left with only one option: sweeps. The semi-permanent homeless "camps" are the on-going target of the Draconian measure. The rationale is to force the homeless to become "invisible" by making them urban nomads. As long as the homeless are on the move during daylight hours and sleep in some bushes at night, the problem is solved. Or is it?

In town, there are so many homeless walking around or loitering that they cannot be considered inconspicuous or "invisible." The homeless are everywhere. Soon there be more homeless than anyone else. Then, what will the authorities do?

Addendum: New empire budget proposed by "Donald" will end up sacrificing homeless shelter and affordable housing funding along with other programs serving the poor, the destitute, and senior citizens.

No Strategic Plan

All on-going and tentative plans, as outlined in the old "blog," have been mummified. More and more new information has come to light, rendering obsolete nearly any kind of planning. What is left is basically a "seat of the pants" approach. Current issues include procurement of senior citizen housing, on-going medical insurance coverage, finances, etc. Any new details will be announced in the current Twitter® feed and detailed in these footnotes.

T-Mobile® Budget Plan

Switching to the basic $30 per month T-Mobile® plan was simple. Just a phone call to customer service. One stipulation, though. The SIM card starter kit had to be initially purchased at Wal-Mart®.

The basic plan is great for phone phobia suffers. "Talk" time is limited to 110 minutes per month. There will be no long phone conversations. However, there is unlimited text messaging and unlimited data (first 5GB at 4G LTE speed).

Addendum: $30/month plan no longer available.

Bad Homeless Plan

Actually, the affirmative homeless decision would have been optimal if exposed assets and net worth amounted to $3,000 and under. In other words, being impoverished with minimal income is ideal for obtaining affordable rental housing. Savvy individuals, like the formerly-homeless buddy (FHB), would have hidden all assets above the $3,000 threshold.

In the case of FHB, excess cash was skimmed and placed in a safe deposit box. Thus, FHB's exposed assets were always under the minimum threshold.

Anyone with a substantial amount of assets will not be able to hide the lump sum immediately without raising suspicion from the authorities. And, gradually drawing out small amounts (or selling off non-liquid assets in piecemeal fashion) could take years.

In any case, the decision to accept intake into a homeless shelter just to exploit the affordable rental housing "navigator" opportunities may be worth the risk. Disclosing all assets may not result in truly affordable rental housing, but the end result may still be more desirable than the waiting list option.

Illin'

The illin' situation is out of hand. So far, only about 14 days out of the current year was devoid of illin' symptoms. The culprit appears to be air conditioning, the worst experience being on board the city bus system.

The newest line of buses appear to have extremely healthy air conditioning units. The thermostat on those buses have been observed to be set at 65^o F. The internal fans are set at "full blast" and the vents are right above the passenger seats. The fans add a "wind chill" factor that brings the "feels like" temperature down to 60^o F.

The outside (ambient) temperature is usually 75^o F or higher. So, the temperature differential is a whopping 15^o or more. Little wonder why so many people are illin'. Constantly going in and out of hot and cold environments most likely contributes to the problem.

The air conditioning at the gym appears to functioning quite well as of late, too. Fortunately, there are only a few isolated pickets where the cold air from the vents can be directly felt. In addition, gym workouts will offset the cold temperature.