Satanic Gargoyle Day 2019

October 31st is now known as Satanic Gargoyle Day (aka Day of Samhain). Sinister Kahuna Day occurs way too frequently, only to cause massive confusion. And, Saturnalia will also be known as Molech Day. Isn’t that great? And, no, there was no participation in any Satanic Gargoyle Day events.

The transition to Medicare, specifically Medicare Advantage, has been fraught with problems. Currently, the Humana® on-line account is locked for no particular reason. So, there’s no way to change any aspect of the plan except by phone. The premium for the plan has already been deducted (a month before activation). Austerity measures will be invoked to offset the new $136 monthly expenditure. Supposedly, a Silver Sneakers® benefit will cover gym membership, eliminating the $37 monthly expenditure. At the end of November when the age of 65 years is attained, a senior citizen yearly bus pass will be purchased for $35 in lieu of the current $70 monthly expenditure. Switching to the other fast food joint for morning coffee would save $15 per month.

The only remaining expenditure to cut is the $30 T-Mobile® prepaid monthly wireless plan. There are some related issues. The old wireless number would not be ported over. The new assigned number would not be revealed to anyone including family. Thus, contact with the latter would be mummified. Anyway, switching to Tello® would save $23 per month.

Austerity measures are justifiable considering the latest interest rate cut by the central bank of empire. QE (“quantitative easing”) acquisitions of dodgy “paper” have also increased and will remain a permanent fixture of monetary policy. Negative interest rates are “right around the corner.” Yeah, Convergence 2019 is shaping up to be a shitty time for all.

There have been steady, almost daily, conversations with Randy, the contractor. As always, there’s a lot of discussions about the old days back at the Sand Island homeless shelter. Of interest, though, have been a few details about the organization that manages the shelter(s). Confirmed is the fact that homelessness is really just a business model. Homelessness is just a tool for acquiring funding and creating jobs (mostly social workers). The homeless themselves? Nobody cares.

The book, “Falter,” by Bill McKibben was read to completion. There was even a reference to the Great Prophet, Ernest Becker. The book is guardedly recommended. The new breed of books have been disappointing, mainly because of the “hipster” style of writing so prevalent these days. Of course, what is really getting tiring is the endless “politically correct” editing that is evident in all current books. A generic person is referenced to the female gender by default, obviously in capitulation to radical feminism. Note to editors ... please end that practice. Come up with a unisex or androgynous pronoun instead. Sheesh!

Entropy 2019

Chaos. Entropy. What else could describe the current state-of-affairs? And, that is really the “final nail in the coffin” for advanced planning. There are just too many complex variables, and one event could simply trigger collapse.

A few weeks have elapsed since the situation with moms took a turn for the worst. The whole purpose of the less-than-triumphant return to Hawai’i was out of respect for aging parents. The idea was insane, according to more utilitarian and stoic ”advisors.” Better to pay respects immediately and move on, they said. In retrospect, the “advisors” may have been correct.

There has been much confusion and internal conflict as a result of prolonging an unnecessary obligation. In fact, the whole concept of exodus was nearly lost. Now, the exodus is here in its nearly completed form, that is, by external forces out of the locus of control. The confusion invoked a sense of helplessness and despair, both of which are clear evidence of personal defect and weakness.

In the aftermath, the realization that the exodus was accomplished, whether by uncontrollable circumstances or not, has finally gelled. With it comes the release of the burden of familial obligation, the last obstacle to personal freedom. There are other obstacles ahead, but none as emotionally binding. So, what’s next?

Update: Much painful deliberation preceded the final decision to terminate the Enterprise® CarShare membership. Without CarShare, subsequent visits with moms in Hawai’i Kai are unlikely. Because of the holiday season, the earliest visit would have been scheduled for January of next year. However, the bro would most likely be laid off from work (for another six-month duration) by then. Any visit with the bro’s presence would not be welcomed.

Notes from Hawai’i Kai

Hawai’i Kai

The latest visit with moms was neither comforting or reassuring. Moms is locked into a slow mental and physical decline, further exacerbated by the Draconian measures mandated by the sister-in-law. In fact, the bro’s entire family is culpable. In the guise of protecting moms from potentially dangerous falls, a literal prison has been constructed. Of course, anything can happen anytime. Moms could succumb suddenly to a heart attack or a bout of pneumonia, both common causes of senior citizen fatalities.

Moms short-term memory appeared to have improved since the last visit. However, there is some doubt that moms can even recall the approximate point in time of that visit. Moms seems to have a vague recollection of receiving the greeting card that was dispatched a month ago. For all intents and purposes, the general assessment is that moms can no longer effectively reference time.

The prison-like living conditions have finally succeeded in breaking moms’ independence. Statements repeated constantly by moms are simply a parroting of the rules dictated by the sister-in-law. There was no mention of the controlling nature of the sister-in-law. Rather, a more passive and accepting stance was evident.

The 24-year-old retired nephew actually exited his room (a rare event) to monitor the visit with moms, no doubt a mandate from the sister-in-law. The nephew treats moms like a small child, much like the bro and sister-in-law. Observing that kind of behavior proved to be extremely repugnant. However, no remedy is possible because the situation is out of the personal locus of control.

In the end, a difficult decision must be made. First off, the Enterprise® CarShare membership will be terminated before the fee for the new fiscal year is charged. Subsequent visits, if any, will be accomplished by public transportation (i.e., bus). The journey by bus to Hawai’i Kai from town is about an hour. The nearest bus stop is about a half-mile away, which will most likely act as a deterrent for visits of any frequency. In other words, there will be a rapid distancing from all immediate family. The rationale (with high probability) is that moms probably would not even notice.

Addendum: The previous observation found moms partaking of junk food and carbonated soft drinks, both adamantly avoided by moms in the past. The latest observation? Moms now watches the widescreen tube, another activity never pursued by moms prior. Clearly, moms has completely assimilated the life-style of the bro’s family.

Discoverer’s Day 2019

With much consternation, another excursion to Hawai’i Kai was scheduled for this morning. The premonition was that the visit with moms would not be accomplished just as the last visit. Surprisingly, the front door was open upon arrival. Moms was laid out on one the couches in the living room. The allotted Enterprise® CarShare rental only allowed for a half-hour visit.

Moms seemed to be doing much better, although that’s not saying much. Even with the hearing aid, moms can barely discern what’s being said. Long-term memory appears intact. Moms is healthy for a 97-year-old senior citizen, but that’s not saying much. Moms has seemingly resumed the very slow degenerative trajectory, most likely toward 103 years.

The conversation was limited. Moms has absolutely nothing to do since the sister-in-law has prohibited moms from leaving the domicile for any reason except for medical appointments. There apparently have been regular visitors, though, most likely members of the church.

Had the visit been unsuccessful, the decision forward would have been simple ... mummification. However, the situation is now complicated. How many visits per month should be planned? Should a vehicle continue to be rented for visits? The $40 annual membership is coming due, and the rental itself runs about $23 for two hours. Should the current T-Mobile® ($30 per month) prepaid wireless plan be replaced with something less expensive? Tello® has the perfect plan for $7 per month.

The situation would be more palatable if moms were transferred to an assisted care facility. There would be much relief as family care under the direction of the sister-in-law is dubious at best. As it stands, the family seems to fine with the possibility that moms will pass on in their presence. Oh well.

Addendum: The small safe was donated to charity since it was obsolete. Moving to completely “paperless” documentation has its benefits.

Yet Another Update

The record heatwave finally ended at the tail of September with a couple of rainy days and the return of cooler trade winds. The average temperature is still fairly warm, though. Global climate change? What else?

The Medicare conundrum was haphazardly solved by enrolling in a Medicare Advantage program (i.e., a Humana® HMO plan). The plan has more “benefits” (i.e., limited dental, vision, prescription drug coverage and gym membership subsidy) than original Medicare at the same cost. The impetus to switch was purely financial as to be expected. Nonetheless, geriatric healthcare is a “can of worms.”

The mailbox at the Post Office has been stuffed with Medicare Advantage junk mail for months now. That’s the predatory nature of geriatric healthcare in action. As stated many times, senior citizens are a “cash cow” target. Sickening!

There was also a lot of confusion when enrolling in the Humana® Medicare Advantage plan. The whole Medicare process is a lesson in total obfuscation, most likely by design. The sheer amount of paperwork delivered by mail is also staggering. The goal at present is to obtain the best coverage for the mandatory monthly premium and minimize actual services. Healthcare in empire is a trap.

The reading of the book, “Natural Causes,” by Barbara Ehrenreich was completed at the bookstore in Ala Moana Center. The wait list for the library e-book is still over four weeks. With so little time in life remaining, a four-week wait is unacceptable. Needless to say, the book was excellent and is highly recommended. The ratings by readers was observed to be less favorable over time. The reason? The truth hurts.

The e-book, “The Reality Bubble,” by Ziya Tong was also read to completion as well. The “book is the “sleeper” of the year, so it is highly recommended. Once again, if truth is sought, the answers can be found. Read it now!

What is “Life”?

The answer has certainly been obfuscated by every aspect of “society” (or the failed “civilization” paradigm). The crux of the problem is the monetization and commodification of the entirety of human existence as well as the forced repression of the “inner animal.”

Nowhere was the aforementioned fact made more certain than the perusal of the mass amount of useless books that have been published in recent times. The waste of paper should have been appalling enough. However, the vapid musings of contemporary authorship confirms that quantity supersedes quality. The focus is primarily on book royalties.

With that said, there is no part of the human experience (read: “life”) that has not been debauched by commodification. The quality of any experience is a function of the ability to pay. Yet, even the highest tier of experiences take on a gaudier form of grotesquerie. Take the case of the tourism and travel industry, for example. What a damned joke!

There is a need to “step back” and observe the “big picture.” Understanding that “life” has been cheapened and reduced to a ubiquitous and endless shopping excursion should give pause for reflection. When every path is reduced to the consumerist decision tree, then an exit strategy becomes imperative.

The example of current literature was highlighted because nothing could be more obvious than the mental midgets who attempt to impersonate the “great thinkers.” The hyperbole, the “political correctness,” the useless jargon, the “woke” bullshit, the substitution of an asterisk for a letter in a cuss word ... all of it is marketing not thinking. This is a brain-dead society, heavily steeped in malignant activities to deny mortality.

There really is no need to babble on about the matter ad infinitum. Careful observation is all that’s necessary. An hour or two of simply observing the human (read: chimpo sapiens) environment will reveal the truth. Of course, the mind must be willing to accept the truth (the basis of which has been discussed in Notes). Once the truth is grasped, real decisions can subsequently be executed.

Addendum: There has been one book of interest, “Natural Causes” by Barbara Ehrenreich. With nearly half of the book read so far, the preliminary verdict is positive.