injustice

A quick jaunt to the police department substation in Chinatown on Saturday proved fruitless. The situation at the “old folks home” within the context of scamming senior citizens was presented to a police officer. Unfortunately, nothing can be done unless an actual crime occurs (i.e., loss or injury suffered by complainant). The same goes for any other agency.

On Monday, an hour was devoted to stop by the Locations Hawai’i office in Kapahulu, just before the usual Hawai’i Kai visit. The office building has three floors. The send and third floors appear to be the real estate concern. Both floors were wide open with a receptionist area at the front and cubicles directly behind.

The property management division is located on the first floor. The entrance is actually outside the lobby. Upon entering the small door, there are a few desks at the left side in the back staffed with personnel for a title and escrow firm. There is also a receptionist area, the sole visible interface with the property management division. The property management staff is only accessible through a door to the right of the receptionist area. No access is allowed to anyone without an appointment with a specific staff member. A note with copies of some documentation and contact information was left for either Dan or Ciara, who apparently supervise the rental properties. Needless to say, no response was ever received.

Contact by e-mail was made with the housing specialist at the Sand Island homeless shelter. The housing specialist was queried about contact information for the Locations Hawai’i office in order to bypass the communication barricade (read: “firewall”). A brief summary of the situation was also provided. Some of the documentation was also provided. The housing specialist also agrees that something “fishy” is transpiring.

Then, the issue of the completely ambivalent staff at the main office. Here’s the bullshit spewed on the Locations Hawai’i site:

We are pleased to serve as your property management company and hope we can address any concerns you may have. Our goal is to work as the liaison between tenants and owners, resolving issues in a diplomatic and timely manner.

What a crock of shit! Little wonder why scams can fester unnoticed.

The current status of the sordid affair is fleeting. The recertification appointment at the “old folks home” in Waikiki with the fucktard twins, Sy and Randi, is set for August 13th. There will be an attempt to reschedule the appointment, but with no intention of actually complying with the process. No further personal information will be submitted if the fucktard twins remain incumbent in their respective positions. Residing at the “old folks home” would also be unacceptable given the incompetence and ambivalence of the overseeing management at the main office.

The current plan is to continue paying rent until the end of the lease period. The final checkout will have to involve a third-party witness. If the security deposit is withheld, then a filing will be made with the local small claims court.

Another Alumnus Encounter

On the way to the bus stop in Waikiki this afternoon, a familiar face was espied across the street. Hunter is yet another Sand Island homeless shelter alumnus. He is apparently staying in one of the apartments that is being renovated by Randy, the contractor (another Sand Island alumnus who was encountered a month or so ago).

Sand Island Homeless Shelter

There was a lot to chat about. Hunter stayed on for two years at the Sand Island homeless shelter. What is surprising is that he wasn’t placed into housing as he is a moderately compensated wage slave. Instead, he found himself back on the street. Even more surprising is that he wasn’t “shipped off to Barbers Point.” So, Hunter is currently working for Randy to make some extra money. He gets to stay in the apartments for about a year, the length of the renovation. After that, he may be back on the streets in his vehicle.

The current predicament at the “old folks home” was discussed. As it turns out, another Sand Island alumnus, Pat, was residing at the very same “old folks home” However, he was evicted for some reason, most likely due to his “anger management” problem. In other words, Pat probably had a run-in with the fucktard twins, Sy and Randi.

The motorhomeless plan (i.e., cargo van camper conversion) was mentioned to Hunter. He seemed to like the idea. As it stands, the motorhomeless option is all that’s left. Who knows? Many of the Sand Island alumni could end up camping together! How’s that for a real reunion?

Exposing the Crime

The cover letter for the billing statement allegedly from the Locations Hawai’i property management corporate office is exhibited below. The letterhead looks phoney. The e-mail address has been defunct for years. The letter has a threatening tone and requires the tenant to submit the alleged delinquent payment within five days. Most of the feeble senior citizen tenants would panic and immediately hobble to Randi’s office with a blank check as implicitly instructed in the letter. What is even more suspicious is that the letter itself is from Randi, not the Locations accounting department. Red flag!

Exhibit A

The billing statement is another piece of work. The grid is somewhat warped. In addition, the information at the bottom is repeated verbatim every month. Note the $43.80 payment, even though no check for $43.80 has ever been disbursed. Note the odd $832.20 delinquent balance. Every month! Red flag!

Exhibit B

The whole amateurish nature of the crime suggests that the culprits are Randi and Sy acting alone. So, how do Randi and Sy get the money? The gullible senior citizens bring the check to Randi’s office. Randi “assists” them by telling them to leave the payee line blank. She has a rubber stamp to fill in that line, she’ll say. Or, if the payee line is already filled in, Randi and Sy later bleach the check. In this particular case, the check was mailed in. That is why Randi and Sy are working overtime to continue the ruse. They are hoping that another blank check will come strolling in to Randi’s office. The longer they can be strung along, the more likely they will fuck up.

So, won’t the senile victims discover the ruse? Probably not. Banks no longer return processed checks. How many decrepit senior citizens are going to review those checks on-line? How many even bother to review their statements?

How much money could Sy and Randi extort from the senior citizen tenants? If they duped half of the tenants of both buildings at the “old folks home” in Waikiki for $900 just one time, they would bring in over $90,000 in cash.

Who then is the weakest link? Sy? Randi? As much of a dolt as Randi is, she is the mastermind. Randi also desires lots of money (see addendum in last Notes) Thus, she must be kept out of the loop insofar as the e-mail dissemination is concerned. Sy will pass the information but with fewer details. Thus, Sy will have to be weakened psychologically and covertly such that he is forced to turn himself in to the police, confess, and sacrifice Randi to save his own ass.

In the meantime, the race is on. There will be considerable effort taken in the next week or so to locate the proper agency to file a report and submit the “e-mail trail” in order that an investigation would be opened. Sy and Randi are criminals. They will be punished.

Addendum: There are people who try to match wits with an old codger who they believe is a “sucker.” But, not all senior citizens are alike. At least one in the ‘hood is an engineer with an MBA. Don’t fuck with him, or try to steal his money!

Locations Hawai’i

Locations HQ

Locations Hawai’i is the property management firm that handles various rental properties including numerous “old folks home” facilities. The corporate office is located in Kapahulu. Reviews of the property management division (it is also a real estate agency) on Yelp have pretty much summarized the personal sordid experience detailed in Notes. Any positive reviews are planted.

Continued e-mail correspondence with Sy, the so-called “property administrative assistant,” has proven futile. Sy has remained obstinate about not accepting copies of processed checks (from the bank, no less) as “proof of payment,” even though courts of law do so. Sy had even commanded that communication with the corporate office by lowly tenants was forbidden.

The resident manager, Randi, was deliberately left out of the loop so far. Randi is incompetent and totally reliant on Sy for daily operations. Of the two brief encounters with Randi, that latter statement proved true. Warnings about Randi were also previously issued by the one friendly tenant mentioned in Notes a while back.

This morning, a visit to the bank and a legal aid firm yielded the suggestion to defy Sy and call the corporate office. That call was subsequently made. The voicemenu system of the property management division was designed to discourage callers. In fact, it eventually defaulted to the receptionist’s voicemail. Why would the receptionist be out of the office at 11am? So, the quickest way to bypass the automated phone system barricade was to call the real estate division. A real person answered (no voicemenu) and the call was directed to the accounting department. Another real person answered and the call was directed to another person who allegedly was “higher up the food chain” than Sy. Alas, Ciara was not there (no surprise) and her default voicemail was invoked. A message was left with brief details about the current situation at the “old folks home.” No return call ever materialized.

The plan from this point forward is to reduce e-mail correspondence with Sy to a single message with the updated bank details, check copies to prove that payments are current, and a note that check copies are legal “proof of payment.” The recipients list will now include Randi and whatever other relevant Locations e-mail addresses are discovered. Aside from that, there is already a sufficient “e-mail trail” for future legal defense.

A subsequent Web search, for no particular reason, resulted in the discovery of the Yelp review page linked above. Upon reading the reviews, the revelation that Sy was merely a puppet goose-stepping his “marching orders” via the “chain of command” became all too apparent. As intended, Sy would be the “fall guy” if the scam was exposed. The whole scam is “standard operating procedure” for Locations Hawai’i. That is why actual names and corporate identity have been revealed here. People residing in Hawai’i should avoid doing any business with the shady operation. Fucking scumbags!

Addendum: Another curious aspect of this affair is that the original billing statement was for one month rent and the late fee ($876 + 43.80 = $919.80). The check was submitted with the billing statement. The last two billing statements have been modified. The statement shows a payment of $43.80 with a new $832.20 delinquent balance. That makes absolutely no sense. Clearly, there is something going on that suggests high-level theft and embezzlement. Any attempt to coerce Sy to respond in e-mail about anything concerning the rent payments have resulted in silence. He sticks to his rehearsed line about the alleged delinquent balance. Sy is being coached.

Update: The one friendly tenant (mentioned earlier) also stated that Randi was an accountant (more likely a bookkeeper) and that she also has lots of money problems. “She can’t save money,” he said to explain why the seventy-something Randi isn’t retired. Randi also purchased a new automobile “just because she liked the color.” Could the embezzlement ring be limited to Randi and Sy? That may be the case. The letterhead is not official. The e-mail address is invalid and the domain is probably from several years ago. The letter, upon closer scrutiny, originates from Randi. The billing statement is exactly the same every month now. It shows a $43.80 payment (leaving a strange $832.30 amount in delinquency). There has never been a single check written for that amount. The modus operandi has been exposed, but how do they get the money out of the main account?

Issues in Life-Style

Life-style changes are no longer a consideration given the precarious state-of-affairs. Indeed, upgrading personal life-style at such an advanced age is ludicrous. The last of the “good years” reinforces that argument. Thus, the mendicant monk life-style will continue indefinitely.

As previously established in Notes, the need to save money is foolish. However, at this point in time, the sole purpose of frugality is to marginally increase personal assets in preparation for the possible purchase of a cargo van (read: homeless motorhome), that is, if residency options are forcibly narrowed down to the latter. Frankly, with the cost of shabby rental housing being exorbitant, there will be no other choice.

Residing in Waikiki in the “old folks home” mausoleum has become untenable. In addition, Waikiki, the sickening haven of gaudy trash, has become intolerable at best. No surprise, eh? The surrogate “living room” at the International Marketplace is now totally rote. There’s only limited pleasure that can derived from sitting and utilizing the free wireless hotspot with the iPhone XR every evening.

Commuting to and from Waikiki on the bus is also a nightmare. So much time is wasted on the commutes that life seems to be passing by too quickly. Not to mention the troglodytes who comprise the ridership. And, Ala Moana Center is also rapidly losing its favor, whatever was left. Well, that’s what happens when the whole island is converted into one big shopping mall.

The Net has already been determined to be laborious. Currently, any expendable on-line accounts are being closed or mummified. The list of acceptable Web sites has been whittled down to nearly nothing. All “propaganda bullhorns” of empire have also been blacklisted. And, what about the change to a frugal wireless plan? Still “up in the air.”

There is a renewed desire to seek seclusion, a state of being that was highlighted in the legacy journal. The decadence of a collapsing society amidst the failed “civilization” paradigm has spawned the urge to flee to isolated obscurity. When the “shit hits the fan,” as it definitely will, no one would want to be in the center of the ensuing chaos.

Addendum: The $30 per month T-Mobile® prepaid wireless plan (100 talk minutes, unlimited text messages, unlimited data with 5GBytes 4G LTE) apparently has both Binge On® and Music Freedom® features (unlimited SD video and music streaming using certain “apps” or Web sites) which actually makes it a good deal.

Update: The recertification for the “old folks home” in Waikiki has commenced. There are three months allotted for submission of the required personal financial documentation. There are no plans to participate in the process. The lease expiry, though, has been confirmed to be October 31st.

“I, Too, Will Die”

Kevin Quiles offers an interesting assessment of the care industry as it pertains to the denial of death. An excerpt:

Raw existentialism says that death will come to all and in spite of ALL we do to try to stop it. Do all that you can to alter unwanted conditions. There will still come an end. But healthcare and mental health professionals are slow to arrive at this sobering truth. To do so they must intentionally convert it into more personal terms: “I, too, will die.” However, this demands that they relinquish not solution-oriented models per se but the façade of omnipotence to fix. Sophisticated minds, be it in white coats or in work attire behind a desk, have found a way to prevent personal death awareness from seeping into consciousness while helping patients. Neglecting their own application of impermanence, the message now reads: “They die; we don’t.”

The entire piece appeared on the Denial File, a part of the Ernest Becker Foundation,

Issues in Residency

There is one remaining quandary that can be universally classified as “residency.” There are multiple aspects, the first being the location for either interim or permanent residency. The choice are:

• Remain in Hawai’i
• Expatriate to the mainland empire (or one of its “territories”)
• Expatriate to a foreign nation.

The timespan for the decision would ultimately depend on whether to wait for moms’ passing or to set a deadline based on prevailing (primarily financial) conditions.

Continuing the tenure in Hawai’i would only leave one option for housing, that is, the homeless motorhome (i.e., cargo van camper conversion). With the on-going stupidity (five months now) at the “old folks home” regarding false allegations of delinquent rent, there is absolutely NO plan to renew the current lease.

Expatriation to the mainland empire is rapidly becoming a ludicrous prospect. The entire landscape for rank-and-file peons resembles “Skid Row.” The homeless situation is even worse than here. Then, there’s the drug (read: opioid) epidemic. The empire is crumbling from within.

Expatriation to a foreign nation without renouncing empire citizenship presents a whole series of problems. Then, there is the question of the expatriate destination. Russia? Cuba? Lots of male citizens of empire have expatriated to Thailand or Philippines (to pay for female “companionship”). That is not a consideration in this case.

An Old Buddy Resurfaces

A reunion with Hoang, the formerly-homeless buddy, occurred yesterday by chance. Well over a year has elapsed since the last chance encounter. He is still residing at the “old folks home” in Wailua along the North Shore. He has also gone totally vegetarian, although he is still a little “chunky” for his size. All in all, he still pretty much the same with the same antics.

The formerly-homeless buddy mentioned that he passed up an opportunity to move to the “old folks home” in town. He mentioned that there was prostitution and drug dealing on the premises. He also mentioned that the problem also exists at the “old folks home” in Waialua. There is no reason to doubt his allegations. The situation in Hawai’i has “hit rock bottom.”

The formerly-homeless buddy usually makes the trek to town by bus at least once per week. An exchange of information on respective whereabouts will now insure more occasions to meet and chat.

Update: The formerly-homeless buddy apparently had undergone three major surgical procedures since he was last seen over a year ago. He had some kind of follow-up heart surgery, and removal of colon and lung tumors. Incidentally, the formerly-homeless buddy is a “ward of the State.”

Issues in Healthcare

The semi-annual visit to the medical clinic at Waikiki Health Center (WHC) occurred on July 11th. The main purpose of the visit was an orientation with a new assigned physician. Blood tests were ordered, and a prescription for the new two-shot shingles vaccine was received. A referral to a dermatologist is being established in order to deal with facial warts. There will be another visit to the WHC later this month for another tooth cavity treatment. There are several more cavities remaining. Alas, so many visits to the clinic that it’s difficult not to feel like a decrepit senior citizen.

An interim self-treatment plan for the facial warts has been invoked using Differin® retinoid gel for acne problems. The active ingredient is a very low potency formula of the actual prescription medication. Hopefully, that will curb the problem until the visit with the dermatologist.

At this point in time, the goal is take care of as many of the medical issues as possible. Come November, there is a high probability that the Medicaid/Quest medical insurance coverage will be mummified as Medicare kicks in.

To receive nearly the equivalent coverage as Medicaid/Quest, there would be a monthly outlay of about $300 for the “optional” Medicare Parts B and D premiums. Currently, the decision has been made to decline the additional coverage unless Medicaid/Quest continues as an adjunct coverage.

Tales From the Crypt Redux

Moms has made a somewhat miraculous, albeit slow, recovery after the last fall. Moms is now able to walk at longer intervals without any prosthetics. Unfortunately, moms appears to be suffering from accelerating short-term memory loss. Forgetfulness and difficulty in articulating thoughts are becoming prevalent symptoms. Like other senior citizens, though, moms’ long-term memory appears to be somewhat intact. What is worrisome is that the sister-in-law (through durable power-of-attorney) could declare moms to be mentally incompetent on a whim and force incarceration to a senior citizen care home. Moms’ life expectancy is, at the least, 103 years regardless.

In a previous Note, personal life expectancy was discussed. However, upon further review, the details have become moot. Blindness, caused by macular degeneration, could occur in as little as ten years. Hence, any discussion of the remaining so-called “good years” has essentially been invalidated. The assumption now is that there are only ten “good years” remaining, assuming that blindness is about as good as death itself. Obviously, maintaining the dreadful status quo (while moms is still alive) will deplete nearly the entirety of those “good years.”

In terms of finances, the objective should be to spend down all reserve assets until zero balance is attained at the end of ten years. The allotment (including retirement payout) would be $4186 per month. The assumption is that blindness would be a prerequisite to becoming a “ward of the State.” Sadly, that’s the possible future “in a nutshell.” The next optometry appointment is coming up in September. The prognosis of macular degeneration should be finalized at that time.

What then are the options for the next ten years? What can be accomplished in the remaining “good years” before blindness sets in? What will be the chosen life-style? Where will the chosen residence be? Will the denial of death (or blindness) finally be mummified? Will the mendicant cycle finally be broken? And, what about the motorhomeless option?

Addendum: The reading of the book titled, “The Big Picture,” by Sean Carroll was completed. Definitely recommended for seekers of the truth.

Checking In With Dmitry

Dmitry Orlov continues to provide insight concerning the collapse of Empire (and the entire “West” for that matter). He has detailed the “Five Stages of Collapse” based upon the demise of the Soviet Union. His latest assessment:

Collectivism is a higher form of culture exhibited by tight-knit groups that share a common ideology or faith, possess a great deal of solidarity or ésprit de corps, and have it within their cultural DNA to put the interests of the community ahead of those of the individual, all the way to suicidal altruism if the conditions warrant. Does that describe the US? No, it doesn’t. Americans’ primary allegiance is not to each other but to little green pieces of paper with pictures of dead presidents on them. Under such conditions, sudden, spontaneous appearance of a wellspring of collectivism is unlikely; what is likely is that mutual self-help will be limited to some amount of charity and a few acts of altruism based on personal sympathy. 

The US is running against a number of physical or organic limitations that no amount of regulation, compensation or social engineering can possibly overcome. The energy returned on energy invested is dropping to levels where an industrial society can no longer be maintained, making the common living arrangement unaffordable for most. The effect of forcing together organically incompatible ethnic groups breeds alienation, hostility and violence, making basic social adequacy something of a stretch goal. These are predicaments rather than problems to solve, and what one does with predicaments is accept their consequences with equanimity and poise. 

The US can be described as a single, highly integrated, systemically corrupt scheme. To say that there is some corruption in the US would be like saying that a huge termite colony has a slight termite infestation problem. Everywhere you look, be it finance, the military-industrial complex, education, medicine, the legal system, the private prison system, agriculture and food production, you see a corrupt, predatory scheme that has been enshrined and indoctrinated as the proper way to get things done. The intelligence community fabricates fake threats for the military-industrial complex; corporate lobbyists and congressional pork barrel politics micromanage the economy; food that makes people obese and sick provides profits for both the agribusiness and the medical industry; the police and the courts stock the private prison system with slave labor. Systemic corruption at this level cannot be reformed. Again, that would be like asking an exterminator to improve conditions at a termite mound.

What’s really left of empire? Just myriad stupid people “fucking around” with their “smartphones.”

Life Expectancy

Life expectancy for a 65-year-old male is 17.5 years, an approximation based upon current actuarial data that is projected onward. Life expectancy probabilities based on gender and limited health factors are detailed in the graph:

There appears to be no way to viably increase lifespan. Whether telomeres are the determining factor of lifespan is irrelevant. The only factor that can be externally influenced is healthspan, that is, the period within the lifespan that relatively good health can be maintained.

The reason for the continued laborious discussion about life expectancy is purely financial. Fear of running out of money well before death is common amongst rank-and-file peons. In this particular case, there is not much in investment accounts and the retirement benefit is at the minimal payout. Nonetheless, the amount of $2,642 (assuming zero interest rate and no increase in retirement payout from this point forward) can be drawn every month for the next 18 years before the investment accounts are depleted. However, the minimal retirement payout will still continue in perpetuity (until death).

Physical decrepitude is inevitable. Most likely, physical and mental degeneration will increase exponentially after 70-75 years of age. Increasing healthspan will shorten the period of decrepitude but the latter will occur at an even faster rate. And, there really is no reason to spend much money on frivolous endeavors beyond 75 years of age. In fact, any large sums of money saved will be targeted for “quack” medical expenditures. And, blindness (due to the onslaught of macular degeneration) is now a real threat within ten years. Better to have no money at that point in time and become a “ward of the State.”

At 65 years of age, the idea of saving money is ludicrous. However, the denial of death is very powerful indeed. Subconscious beliefs of immortality drive the obsession with saving money. Even the motorhomeless option has partial roots in that kind of denial. The thought of surviving beyond 75 years of in perpetual and accelerating decrepitude is just not viable. There is no “quality of life” that any amount of money can compensate for.

Addendum: According to the Great Prophet, Ernest Becker, the human animal feels uncomfortably small and servile in the face of death. We seek power over each other and the more-than-human world to compensate for felt smallness. As Becker wrote in his final book, Escape from Evil, “power means power to increase oneself, to change one’s natural situation from one of smallness, helplessness, finitude, to one of bigness, control, durability, importance.” Money offers this vitalizing power. For Becker, “money is the human mode par excellence of coolly denying animal boundedness, the determinism of nature.”

Slave Day 2019

The attempt at emancipation from Notes was thwarted by the exponential increase in events of grave stupidity and immense bullshit. The plan was to reduce Notes to a semi-annual format. That’s now a lost cause.

Another threatening letter was received from the shady property management overseeing the “old folks home” in Waikiki, again alleging delinquent rent payment. Every month, the same threatening letter is received with different delinquent balances. Once again, data and check facsimiles were retrieved. This time, an e-mail with the compiled data attached was dispatched to the e-mail address provided on the letterhead. The e-mail address was invalid, so a copy was sent to the office at the “old folks home.” When such accusations are communicated, a reliable means for replying should be provided. The matter is highly suspicious. There seems to be less doubt about the intent to swindle gullible senior citizens.

The latest episode with the property management of the “old folks home,” which will continue, has only solidified the decision to vacate the mausoleum once the lease expires supposedly on October 31st. The shadiness of the operation, of course, does not guarantee that particular date.

Add to the mix the pathetic family dynamics detailed in the previous Note and there really is no recourse but to go “off the grid.” The decision to opt for the motorhomeless alternative cannot be finalized given the circumstances. Instead, other options must be investigated first. Really? No, not really.

As far as health issues are concerned, much effort is being made with self-treatment. The small black scabs (keratosis pilaris) on the deltoids have been decreasing just by leaving the area relatively undisturbed, only washing with soap (no scrubbing). The numbness in the right outer thigh (meralgia parasthetica) seems to occur only during colder weather, so not much can be done except to let it be.

More investigations concerning the upcoming mandatory enrollment in Medicare has yielded disturbing data. Adequate health coverage could cost over $250 per month. To cover the “gap” and extremely high deductibles, even more money must be spent. Little wonder why there are so many homeless senior citizens on the streets.

Finally, the e-book titled, “Hype,” by Nina Shapiro was read and is a good follow-up to the book titled, “Overdiagnosed,” by H. Gilbert Welch. Both are highly recommended.