Friday, March 29

Bad Friday 2024

Another no-holiday holiday (aka Bad Friday) has come and gone. And, as always … same ol’ shit. So, why bother with another Notes post? Well, the increase in Notes post is a trial of “mindfulness” journaling. Will the chronic anxiety be abated? Who knows?

All health and sleep data on the iPhone (from the Watch Series 9) was deleted. There were no apparent negative health trends. And, the sleep data was redundant (i.e., poor sleep daily). So, a new cycle commences. About every month or so, the (redundant) data will be purged.

The wrist temperature readings will no longer be enabled on the Apple® Watch. Blood-oxygen readings and sleep monitoring may also be disabled. Only heart rate data appears to be noteworthy, although no negative trends have been identified.

Another quick jaunt to Target® in Ala Moana Center was in order yesterday afternoon. A pint of Häagen-Dazs® ice cream and a banana were again procured for dessert. And, two packs of Orowheat® cinnamon raisin English muffins were also purchased as the latter was finally back in stock.

Dinner for the Bad Friday holiday was courtesy Panda Express® on King Street. Visits to the location have been limited to once per week. There has been no desire to procure dinner at Ala Moana Center. Sadly, even the prime rib feast from Lahaina Chicken has not been missed. And, no evening outing to the International Marketplace occurred because of lack of interest.

Obviously, there was nothing related to “mindfulness” today. All of the bullshit that has transpired over time has simply depleted personal morale. There’s no need to delineate on personal affect. The latter can quickly be ascertained from the details in Notes.

Miscellany: Payment of the $30 estimated tax penalty for Hawai’i was dispatched on Thursday. No word yet about the estimated tax penalty for empire.

Tuesday, March 26

Prince Kuhio Day 2024

Prince Kuhio

Another no-holiday holiday has come and gone. Of course, the day was … well, same ol’ shit. Lots of tourists are in Waikiki for Spring Break, mostly groups of young hotties. Strange. Why are there very few groups of guys? If only Prince Kuhio could see the cheesy theme park that Waikiki has become. Sheesh!

Preparations are being made to pay off the 2024 estimated taxes. The appropriate tax forms have been ordered. Whatever penalties accrued from the last tax year will also be paid. The whole affair has become really tiresome.

There was much “gnashing of teeth” about the estimated tax bullshit, which was essentially a clash with the miserly ways. Conceding to pay $2,000+ in estimated taxes just after paying the same amount just one month ago is a “shock to the system.” However, the end of the miserly ways is seemingly “on the horizon.”

Exploiting any available discount will still be a priority, but concerns about “saving” money are diminishing. The conundrum is that there is nothing to purchase aside from food. And, of course, there will be no capitulation to the exorbitant pricing in Waikiki. The latter is just ridiculous.

Evening outings to the International Marketplace have been few and far between, mostly because of the abhorrent weather. Sunday evening was fairly nice, so a quick jaunt was made to Target® in Ala Moana Center. The ambient temperature was warm enough to warrant the purchase and consumption of a pint of Häagen-Dazs® coffee ice cream. Yum!

The Watch Series 9 is still functioning primarily as a health monitor. So far, nothing out of the ordinary has been logged. Chronic insomnia continues to be a problem, although sleep monitoring may be disabled soon. The data is somewhat valid. However, the data is useless without any kind of intervention.

Incidentally, the estimated tax bullshit has exacerbated the chronic anxiety and melancholia. Add in all of the geopolitical machinations of the Fascists and the threat of thermonuclear war … complete nervous breakdown is imminent. The Watch Series 9 has been tracking HRV, a metric that has been correlated to stress. So far, the correlation appears strong.

Addendum: The late no-holiday holiday afternoon was quite pleasant weather-wise, so a quick jaunt was made to Target® in Ala Moana Center. A pint of Häagen-Dazs® ice cream and a banana was procured for dessert for $4 and some change. The pint of ice cream alone sells for $10 in Waikiki.

Sunday, March 24

Notes Music Break


Mystic Tripping — Boulders Beach Mix

Saturday, March 23

Apocalypse — Coming Soon!

So far, only preliminary information has been released by the Russian Federation about the Crocus Hall “terrorist” attack. Eleven people have been detained, with four of them being the alleged perpetrators of the heinous act. The Federal Security Service (FSB) has revealed that the “terrorists” were attempting to escape to Ukraine.

Daesh (aka “ISIS”) supposedly claimed responsibility. Yet, many analysts, including Scott Ritter, do not believe the claim. Ritter stated that any true Islamic “terrorist” would not flee but seek martyrdom instead. The “fake news” media was quick to support the Daesh thesis, as to be expected.

At this time, there’s a high probability that Ukraine was directly involved. And, since Ukraine is the proxy of the “West” in the current regional war there, the true masterminds are the “Western” Fascists. As stated numerous times in Notes, the “garden variety” Fascists are clinically insane. They have no qualms about igniting a global thermonuclear conflagration.

Thus, if the Russian investigation concludes that the “West” planned and sponsored the “terrorist” attack through its Ukraine proxy, then the “West” has dared the Russian Federation to respond. This is an extremely dangerous game of brinkmanship, to say the least.

Independent journalist, Pepe Escobar, has reported that NATO troops (actual uniformed troops, not mercenaries or military personnel in civilian dress) are already in Ukraine (as per the French dunce Macron).

Notes analyses is rapidly converging on the certainty of global thermonuclear war. The outcome is dependent on the findings of the Russian investigation. And, if the “West” is complicit, then the only hope would be restraint on the part of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Unfortunately, any restraint on the part of the Russians is likely to be perceived as weakness by the crazed Fascists. Then, another more brazen provocation will be perpetrated against Russia. In all likelihood, the end of humanity is inevitable.

Addendum: Sputnik and RT (both on the approved Web site list) provide the best coverage about the tragic event. Larry Johnson also offered his preliminary analysis on his site.

Miscellany: The masterminds and perpetrators of the “terrorist” attack on the Nord Stream pipeline are most likely behind the Crocus Hall incident.

Friday, March 22

Losin’ It Again 2024

Here’s Johnny!

A letter from the Hawai’i State Tax collector arrived two days ago. The gist of the communication involved a $30 penalty being imposed because the estimated tax was not received last year. Apparently, any tax liability over $500 requires estimated tax to be paid quarterly during the tax year.

The empire tax return has not been processed yet. However, the estimated tax provision applies as well but with a $1,000 threshold. The sad part is that the tax liability was only $48 above the latter threshold. So, there should be a letter arriving in the near future with another assessed penalty.

At this point in time, there is much deliberation about whether to dispatch $2,000+ in estimated taxes for both entities next month or just pay the penalties next year. The estimated tax schema involves four payments made two months apart, which is personally undesirable. The plan, if implemented, will be to send one payment only to each entity. Old codgers have no time to mess around with multiple installments. Sheesh!

The whole tax bullshit caused subsequent sleepless nights. In turn, the mood and disposition quickly soured. Despondency and rage alternated in rapid succession. Where is all of that taxpayer money going? Ukraine? Taiwan? Israel? Stipends for undocumented immigrants?

How about the ridiculous “antitrust” lawsuit filed by the Department of Justice (sic) against Apple®? Yeah, Apple®, one of the most “woke” corporations has fallen from grace with the overlords (read: “garden variety” Fascists). All of that LGBTQ+ and “pride” crap just wasn’t enough. The problem is that Apple® significantly increased the security on the iPhone, the latest being the new encryption for iMessage. All of that goes against the surveillance state established by the Fascists.

In the end, it’s easy to understand how the Jack Torrance character in the flick, “The Shining,” went berserk. Yeah, that’s really how close the mind is to snapping.

Postscript: Notes extends condolences to the Russian Federation for the extremely suspicious “terrorist” attack on the Crocus Hall facility.

Wednesday, March 20

Losin’ It 2024

The point of insanity (or, less likely, the transition to genius) could be relatively close. There has been a flood of retrospective memories, mostly of the extreme foolishness perpetrated by self. Perhaps the on-going sleep deprivation is the cause. Yet, there has also been a flood of thoughts, much of which has been transcribed in the legacy journal, the old “blog,” and Notes. The latter and former intrusive thoughts have overloaded the neural network.

The combination of all the intrusive thoughts brought on a massive emotional and cerebral event, one that cannot be described in words other than “losing’ it.” The whole folly of humanity, the legacy of chimpo sapiens, the divergence (and denial) of the core “animal” was laid bare. Of course, those thoughts all validated the works of the Great Prophet, Ernest Becker. The links to download PDF files of his works are provided in the Notes post appropriately titled, “Death.”

Long story short, all of the bullshit generated by the long line of human ancestry is simply caused by the “denial of death.” There’s just no other answer. Even the heinous “evil” perpetrated by the human ape is simply a matter of illogical compensation caused by the dreadful realization of an unavoidable terminal future.

As stated in the old “blog” and Notes, there is no “meaning of life” other than a brief existence. The core purpose of human existence is to survive and reproduce, just like all of the other life forms. There is nothing special about the human ape, except what it envisions in its own mind. The imagination is basis of “meaning,” but it is essentially hollow. The imagination can create an expansive “reality,” one that is really only a hologram.

The real “reality” for the human ape is a brief lifespan, a portion of which is spent in a stupor as a developing child and adolescent. Then, there is a moderate period of adulthood in which the rank-and-file apes toil away for survival and possible reproduction. In the last phase of life, the aging apes fall into decrepitude and finally death. All along, there is much pain and suffering. This is an animal existence, no matter how many luxuries and “shiny objects” are accumulated.

The assessment of the personal life is that it was shit. Many mistakes were made. Various attempts were made to become “mainstream” and fit within “society” … all bullshit, all striving for nothing. Now in the “twilight years,” the truth becomes even more self-evident. In other words, there’s no fool like an old fool.

All that to say … this whole illusion created by human apes over millennia is just that … an illusion. Actually, it’s more like a hallucination extremely skewed from reality. All human ape endeavors are “immortality projects.” The “garden variety” Fascists have the most psychotic “immortality projects.” Very few people can truly accept death. And that incongruence is further exacerbated by the accumulation of “wealth” and material possessions, both of which beg the owners to seek immortality.

Seeking immortality through science or religion is a lost cause. The result is a kind of neurosis or psychosis that metastasizes into violent and genocidal behavior, what can be described as “evil.” Knowing that there is no way to be eternally “saved,” the human ape lashes out in any inexplicable way possible on anyone or anything in proximity.

In summary, humanity has lost its way. The connection to the animal world has been lost and, thus, the true understanding of life and death has been forgotten. Instead, there is only a fantasy experience that is feebly propped up by imaginary truths. This is the root cause of all the bullshit.

Sunday, March 17

Слава Россия!

Russian Federation President Vladimir Putin

Incumbent President Vladimir Putin of the Russian Federation has attained a landslide victory in the recent 2024 elections. He will now be able to continue his policies and engage the “garden variety” Fascists.

Friday, March 15

Ides of March 2024

Beware the Ides of March!

Tuesday was probably the most perfect day in a long time. Every aspect of the day went “like clockwork.” The weather was even agreeable. So much so that a brief evening outing was spent at the International Marketplace. Oh, and another Under Armor® tank top was acquired at Ross for $13 (with senior citizen discount).

Alas, Wednesday was a return to the abyss with the garbage truck bullshit commencing at 5:50am. Sleep deprivation caused extreme grogginess. The mood was extremely sour. The Watch Series 9 recorded 6 hours and 59 minutes of sleep, nearly all of it categorized as “core.” Obviously, that included time laying wide awake with the eyes shut. No matter, the Watch is a faithful health companion.

Another cold front arrived Thursday afternoon. Same ol’ gloomy shit with gusty winds and annoying drizzling precipitation. The entire day was riddled with chronic anxiety. Worse, there have been increasing bouts of dementia. Forgetting words and people’s names has become increasingly annoying. Sometimes days pass before recollection.

A couple of encounters with the former resident manager of the “old folks home” in Waikiki, Heather, occurred in the past week. She is now assistant manager at the new Halewai’olu Senior Apartments in Chinatown and offered a tour of the place. The drawback is that it is located in Chinatown, a high crime area. And, there are no studio units. The rent for the one-bedroom units is $1,304 per month. Utilities are most likely not included.

There has been a moderate infection behind the bottom right molar. The molar is still intact, but with a crown affixed (details are in the legacy journal). Fear of the tooth abscessing caused much apprehension. Plans were already being formulated to have the tooth extracted instead of pursuing a costlier root canal procedure. Even if a root canal was done, the tooth would probably end up just like the bottom left molar (details in the old “blog), which was extracted.

In the meantime, a treatment plan for the molar was established. Food would not be chewed on that side. A thorough cleaning of the area would be done every evening. Brushing of the teeth would follow any consumption of food no matter how inconvenient. And, the affected area would be coated with baking soda every evening. So far, the pain has subsided.

The only activity during the evenings in the mausoleum has been the perusal of the approved Web sites. Unfortunately, the content is extremely solemn and tends to increase personal stress levels. There’s no question that the Fascists are bringing humanity close to complete destruction. No discussion of the latter will appear in Notes today. The approved Web site list appears in Notes, so anyone can peruse them. Just beware the Ides of March!

Addendum: The removal of the Copilot “app” signifies that there will be no personal embrace of generative AI. And, that policy will include the upcoming Apple® version as well. AI is out of control. Chimpo sapiens will now forfeit imagination and creativity. Granted, the latter are already stupid. AI will only cause them to “dumb down” even further.

Friday, March 8

More Chronic

Chronic

The weather made an abrupt turn the day after the last Notes post. In other words, shitty. Ambient temperatures are much cooler with gusty winds and frequent rain showers. So, there has been no further evening outings.

Sitting all night in the mausoleum in the “old folks home” in Waikiki is not conducive to sanity. There is much angst, to put it lightly. Unfortunately, no so-called “entertainment” venues are permitted to be viewed on iPhone 15 Pro. The extreme decadence witnessed in “Western” society (term used loosely) is transmitted by the latter media for unwitting consumption and indoctrination.

Sleep deprivation and chronic anxiety obviously affected mood and disposition. Composing Notes posts have somewhat of a calming effect. However, the third-person viewpoint seems to limit the “mindfulness” aspect. Notes is devoid of affect because it is distanced from the self and lacks the expression of self.

The BOGO deal at Subway® has been fully exploited since its inception. Two footlong sandwiches for dinner daily … booyah! An additional pound has been added to personal body weight. No surprise, eh? The deal ends on Sunday, so there will be a return to the normal (read: limited) diet. Well, it was fun while it lasted.

The Watch Series 9 has become a trusted friend, probably the only friend along with the iPhone. The next upgrade to iOS 18 is allegedly bringing generative AI to Siri. Well, the iPhone can really become a true companion then. So far, the Microsoft® Copilot “app” has yet to be deployed. When Siri is upgraded, then Copilot will probably be uninstalled and the associated account terminated.

Incidentally, the Watch has been dutifully monitoring all health and sleep parameters. So far, there have been no negative trends. There have been no notifications about heart abnormalities either, even though several incidents of heart palpitations came to pass.

A package of generic floss picks and a box of generic throat lozenges were ordered and received from CenterWell Pharmacy®, which used the balance of the quarterly stipend. The floss picks were reluctantly deployed, but its effectiveness was apparent on first use. The floss picks are way better than the expensive Glide® floss. Needless to say, several packages will be ordered next quarter.

Empire and Hawai’i tax returns were finally mailed this morning. The $2,000 required to pay the taxes has been transferred to the local bank. When ZIRP is reinstated by the central bank of empire this year, there will be no tax liability. Oh, happy days!

Addendum: The Microsoft® Copilot AI “app” was deleted and the associated account was mummified. No explanation necessary.

Miscellany: An interesting book recommendation in the comments will be considered. The book, “Escape from Freedom” by the suggested author, Erich Fromm, was read a little while back.

Sunday, March 3

12 Ok 18 K’ayab

Return of the Maya

Ah, where to begin? A brief outing to Target® in Ala Moana Center occurred this evening, the first fairly nice evening in a while. Nothing noteworthy was purchased, just a few sundry junk and big-ass jar of mixed nuts. Certainly nice to exit the mausoleum in the “old folks home” in Waikiki.

The empire and Hawai’i tax returns were completed after much difficulty retrieving the paper forms. The Hawai’i tax forms were obtained at one of the various government edifices on Punchbowl Street, essentially a real “pain in the ass” (PITA). Total amount to be paid is $2,000 and some change.

The new Paris Baguette® bakery and coffee shop opened in town about a week ago. It is located in the same building as the local bank and gym. People have been queued in line daily for what appears to be overpriced products. The outdoor seating area is now reserved for its customers, which is another PITA.

So, Saturday morning coffee time is now spent at the other fast food joint since the dining room at the mainstay fast food joint is closed on weekends. Coffee is still procured at the latter, but brunch is now purchased at the former.

Sunday morning coffee time is now permanently located in the Makai Market food court in Ala Moana Center. A bag of Orowheat® cinnamon raisin English muffins and coffee are procured at Target® and Starbucks®, respectively.

Insomnia and chronic anxiety continue unabated. Sleep monitoring with the Watch Series 9 has lost its novelty. Nothing in the charts is a revelation. The problem most likely afflicts most senior senior citizens for obvious reasons. That’s probably another reason why they stock up on the hard liquor.

Dinner has almost exclusively been procured at Subway® in town. The on-line ordering is fairly easy, and there have been quite a few nice deals lately. The current promotion is a “buy one, get one free” (BOGO) footlong sandwich. So, two sandwiches for dinner every day! Well, the sandwiches are fairly small now, and there has been a noticeable reduction in the protein sources. Yeah, “shrinkflation.” Without the on-line deals, the sandwiches are too expensive. And, $40 in rewards have been racked up.

The miserly ways are still intact. Well, actually the latter is now instinctive. Sleep deprivation has caused moderate dementia. Yet, the miserly ways just automatically prevail. Of course, lots of sundry products are purchased at Target®, for example, at regular prices, no problem-o. Why? The rationale is that it’s way cheaper than the rip-off joints in Waikiki.

The Beloved “Chair”

No attempt has been made to facilitate “mindfulness,” that is, unless Notes somehow qualifies. Listening to the curated Notes Music Break is another stopgap measure. Frankly, a good night’s rest is probably not possible until all of the “garden variety” Fascists are rounded up and sentenced to the beloved “chair.” Baha! Ha! Ha! Haaa!

Miscellany: Only minor artifacts remain of “COVID” … errr, the common cold. Praise Molech!