Fuck It Friday - 21

Fuck It Friday (FIF)! Sporadic news and commentary of no interest to anyone ... FIF! The “old folks home” in Waikiki is the primary focus of this edition. Yes, this is Fuck It Friday!

On Wednesday, one of the other tenants of the “old folks home,” David, had breaking news to share. Locations, the sleazy property management corporation, has allegedly not had its contract renewed. A new property management outfit will assume duties on July 1st with new employees. The change affects all “Vista” properties, so this is a big deal. Fuck it!

Something extraordinarily pathetic must have occurred to trigger such an event. The corruption and bullshit perpetrated by Locations has been going on for years. Refer to the personal ordeal in the Notes 2019 archive which detailed the amateurish extortion attempt made by Randi, the resident manager at the time, and her sidekick, Slippery Sy. And, refer to the specific Notes post titled, “Locations Hawai’i,” for even more sordid details. Fuck it!

Another ambulance was spotted carting off another geriatric resident to the hospital late Thursday afternoon (just before a brief outing to the International Marketplace). On the way out, a conversation transpired with another tenant. Randi, the former resident manager, was the individual being transported. Apparently, Randi continued to reside at the “old folks home,” although she was never personally observed on the premises. The thought of Randi going to the emergency room was amusing. As “they” say, “payback is a bitch.” Baha! Ha! Ha! Haaa! Fuck it!

A new Under Armor® mini-backpack was procured at Ross® on Tuesday for $15 (with senior citizen discount). It is the perfect size to transport the new iPad Pro M4 when necessary. The new Nike® sackpack was given to one of the favored gym employees. Fuck it!

Well, another bullshit Friday … Fuck it Friday, that is. Just waiting for that good ol’ thermonuclear war to erupt, thanks to the brain-dead “garden variety” Fascists and their puppets. An evening outing to the International Marketplace was on the agenda, specifically to install Swift Playgrounds on the iPad Pro M4 device. Yeah, the iPad was powered up just for that. On the way back to the “old folks home,” an apple, a banana, and an overpriced can of Guinness® Stout were purchased to celebrate the coming of the end of days. Fuck it!

There’s been a surge in full-time face mask usage, most likely related to the scaremongering in the “fake news” media about “bird flu” and more new strains of “super-duper corona.” The bullshit is just so tiring. Fuck it!

Addendum: The senior citizen drug dealer was finally evicted from the “old folks home.” Fuck it!

Memorial Day 2024

Another no-holiday holiday weekend has come and gone. As usual, minor inconveniences were encountered. The usual workarounds were deployed. Obviously, the numerous annoyances triggered high anxiety, as to be expected.

On Sunday, the usual morning excursion to Ala Moana Center ensued. Coffee was purchased at the Starbucks® in the Target® store as opposed to walking to the one at the West end of the mall. The cup of coffee was slightly more expensive than the other location.

After the usual gym routine, an early return to Waikiki followed. Subsequently, another jaunt was made to Ala Moana Center. An overpriced dinner was courtesy Yummy Korean. Then, a stopover at the International Marketplace was made before returning to the dismal “old folks home” in Waikiki.

The actual holiday was subdued, much like last year. No special itinerary was followed. And, a late afternoon outing to the International Marketplace was necessary to avoid prolonged vegetation in the mausoleum.

The iPad Pro M4 has been charged to 80% capacity and powered down. At this point in time, the next power up will be when iPadOS 18 is available, probably in September. There is no reason to deploy the device since the iPhone 15 Pro can assume all daily functions. In addition, nothing conveys true “dorkiness” like breaking out the large iPad in a public setting (e.g., International Marketplace). Sheesh!

The iPad Pro M4 needs a wireless hotspot to function fully. The iPhone has the capability to provide a personal hotspot as part of the Visible cellular data plan. However, at this point in time, that option will not be exploited.

The Watch Series 9 continues to dutifully track health and sleep metrics. Oddly, battery drain suddenly increased last week for no apparent reason. However, a reboot remedied the problem.

The new AirPods Pro 2 (USB-C) earbuds have yet to be charged and paired to the iPhone. These new and expensive devices are just laying around and collecting dust. Perhaps a MacBook Pro M3 should be added to the middling collection, eh?

Addendum: Sleep deprivation continues unabated, but with a new twist. Imagine the horror of being awakened at 2am with the entire body itching. Most likely, the nerves are shot. The geriatric brain can no longer discern or regulate bodily reactions.

iPad Pro M4

iPad Pro M4

Sunday was essentially a relaxing day, so a late afternoon excursion to Ala Moana Center ensued. An overpriced dinner was anticipated to be procured at Yummy Korean. However, the establishment was closed due to equipment problems. So, another prime rib dinner from Lahaina Chicken was in order.

With nothing much else to do afterwards, a quick jaunt to the Apple® Store was made. The iPad Air M2 and iPad Pro M4 were on display, although neither were in stock. A brief “hands on” session revealed that both were more than adequate, although the $400 price difference was worthy of consideration. The M4 device boasted an excellent display, by the way. The decision was made to purchase whichever device was available first at the Ala Moana location.

On Monday, a quick check during the day showed only the iPad Air M2 device available at the Kahala Mall location. No dice. So, the day was … well, same ol’ shit. The weather was nice enough for a late afternoon outing to the International Marketplace. While relaxing in the usual spot, a quick check was made to see if any of the two iPad devices were available at the Ala Moana store. Apparently, the iPad Pro M4 devices were back in stock.

So, the trek to Ala Moana Center was spontaneous and immediate. The iPad Pro M4 and a Smart Folio case were procured for $1,080 and some change. Since it does not have cellular data capability, most of the setup process was accomplished there. There was some remorse later for such a frivolous expenditure, but … fuck it!

The iPad Pro M4 is quite large, even though it is the smaller model. So, a Nike® sackpack was purchased at Ross® today for $12 with senior citizen discount. The device was transported in the new sackpack to the International Marketplace for the late afternoon outing. Setup of the device was finally completed.

When switching from the iPad Pro to the iPhone 15 Pro, the size difference became quite noticeable. The iPhone screen looked microscopic and toy-like. Certainly, the iPad will be useful when reviewing documents or using the spreadsheet “app.” Was that worth the cost? No, but who cares?

Anyway, the device is nearly useless without a wireless hotspot. So, it will be brought along on outings to the International Marketplace when necessary. It may occasionally be carried in the gym bag during the daily routine as well.

Of course, both the iPhone 15 Pro and the iPad Pro M4 are designed with the upcoming AI features in mind. The AI bullshit has surely reached a fever pitch. There is no personal desire to embrace any AI features. Hopefully, there is a way to disable all of that crap.

Miscellany: Notes recognizes and expresses condolences to the Islamic Republic of Iran for the loss of President Ebrahim Raeisi and Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian in a suspicious helicopter crash.

Notes Music Break

Hypnotic Progressions — Grand Anse Mix

Fuck It Friday - 20

Fuck It Friday (FIF)! Sporadic news and commentary of no interest to anyone ... FIF! Absolutely nothing is the primary focus of this edition. Yes, this is Fuck It Friday!

The elusive Subway® on-line account is fully functional again. So, on-line orders are standard operating procedure once again. The problem, of course, had to be solved “in-house.” That’s the way it is nowadays. Fuck it!

The new AirPods Pro 2 (USB-C) has not been unboxed or set up yet. No telling when it will be deployed. Of course, there has been no fretting about the cost incurred. Fuck it!

The latest updates to the iPad line have been introduced. The iPad Pro M4 has sparked some interest. So, a few days have been spent contemplating the acquisition of the latter or a MacBook Pro M3 for no applicable reason. The form factor of the iPad is more appealing, although the latter has much less utility than a notebook computer. Why waste more time and money on a useless gadget? Who knows? Fuck it!

The investment accounts have nearly replenished the recent exorbitant withdrawals for taxes and estimated taxes. The problem really boggles the mind. There’s no telling when the central bank of empire will return to ZIRP, although it really has no choice. ZIRP is a matter of “when” not “if.” In the meantime, more useless expenditures must be pursued. Fuck it!

The weather changed abruptly earlier this week with frequent rain showers and downpours. A brief reprieve ensued today, but more rain is probably arriving this weekend. Fuck it!

Miscellany: The mangy mutt caper may have been solved. An encounter with a friendly older guy and his dog in the small lobby of the “old folks home” in Waikiki occurred earlier this week. He appears to be a new tenant. He had the leash wrapped around the dog’s snout. “He’s very scared,” the old guy said. That would explain why the dog is barking at odd hours. A feeling of remorse and empathy was forthcoming.

Tax Hullabaloo

The requested Hawai’i tax forms arrived on Friday. So, much time during the weekend was wasted to prepare the amended tax forms. The final calculations revealed that a $615 refund is due. The $27 estimated tax penalty should also be refunded since the tax liability was below the $500 limit. Today, the documents were mailed off.

The empire tax transcripts for the 2022 year was downloaded. The “reverse engineered” figures were very close. In addition, a quick calculation of the Hawai’i tax liability using the new data was made. The tax liability was exactly the same. An amended Hawai’i tax return will probably be filed anyway. No hurry, though.

A quiet celebration of the completion of the amended tax bullshit was held in the Makai Market food court in Ala Moana Center on Sunday. A prime rib dinner was the fare of choice, courtesy Lahaina Chicken. Then, a Fuji apple, a banana, and a big-ass container of lard-filled chocolate chip cookies were procured at Target®. A brief stopover was made at the International Marketplace for non-stop fun. Wheee!

Miscellany: The COVID Blog site has vanished. The last post by Brian Wilkins was back in November of last year. Obviously, the site’s funding has finally depleted. So, another opposition warrior has disappeared. Links (but not references) to the site in Notes have been deprecated. [Update: site is back on-line]

Victory Day 2024

Victory Day Parade

The Russian Federation celebrated Victory Day, an annual event on May 9th since the 1945 year. The celebration is a remembrance of the then-Soviet victory against Nazi Germany.

Female Cadets of Military University of Ministry of Defense

World War II is known as the Great Patriotic War in Russia. Few people in the “West” realize how many Soviet citizens perished in that war.

Vladimir Putin and Guests

And, very few people today realize that World War III is already underway and is being urgently prosecuted by the “garden variety” Fascists. There is much certainty that Vladimir Putin understands that fact all too well.

Photos are from Sputnik News. Videos of the parade and Vladimir Putin’s speech are available on the site. Larry Johnson had some great insights to share as well. Links to (approved) Web sites are interspersed in Notes.

Addendum: Be sure to download and read the entire essential Fascist library! The whole Fascist plan is right there in the open.

Inauguration 2024

Vladimir Putin at Inauguration

A quiet congratulatory celebration in honor of Russian Federation President Vladimir Putin was in order late this afternoon with a prime rib dinner courtesy Lahaina Chicken. Obviously, everyone else in the Makai Market food court either despises him or could care less. May he succeed in vanquishing the “garden variety” Fascists!

Of course, Vladimir Putin’s main concern is the welfare of the Russian Federation. Unfortunately, the Fascists yearn to see the destruction of Russia and the removal of Putin from power by any means necessary. Hence, he has no choice but to confront and destroy the Fascists (as well as their puppets). Little wonder why Vladimir Putin has the support of Xi Jinping (PRC), Kim Jong-un (DPRK), Ayatollah Khamanei and Ebrahim Raisi (Iran), Basshar al-Assad (Syria), Alexander Lukashenko (Belarus), Nicolás Maduro (Venezuela), and General Abdourahmane Tchiani (Niger).

A brief stopover was made at the International Marketplace before returning to the mausoleum in the dismal “old folks home” in Waikiki. Upon observation of all of the fools milling about in the tourist grotesquerie, the only logical conclusion is that the Fascist depopulation pogrom is way behind schedule.

Miscellany: The box of foam earplugs has been donated at small community table in the lobby of the “old folks home.”

Cinco de Mayo 2024

After much “gnashing of teeth,” the recalculation of Hawai’i tax returns for the 2022 and 2023 years was completed and scribbled on a paper towel. The purpose, of course, was to determine if any refund(s) would be forthcoming with the submission of amended tax returns.

The empire tax figures for the 2022 year had to be “reverse engineered” because the letter that detailed the changes never arrived. Based on the tax paid, an approximation of the taxable income and AGI were determined within a $50 range. No “reverse engineering” was required for the 2023 year since the appropriate letter was received.

The Hawai’i tax was then calculated for both years. As it turns out, the payment was found to be correct for the 2022 year (even with different figures), and an overpayment of $337 was found for the following year. The decision to file amended tax returns for both years was considered, but only the 2023 year is the most feasible.

There are still problems occurring when attempting to access the Subway® on-line account. Another password reset was required. An attempt was made to add the credit card to the account, but the task was not possible in the Web browser. An attempt may be made using the “app.” More likely, the $42 in rewards will be used during in-store purchases. Then, adios Subway®!

Alas, a shitty Cinco de Mayo, eh? Well, at least there was a brief evening outing at the International Marketplace. The homeless guy was even there to join in the festivities. Adios amigos, adios!

Addendum: The “reverse engineered” figures for the 2022 empire tax return make no sense. The sole variable was the percentage of the retirement stipend that is taxable. Only 50% and 85% are used in those calculations. Neither was apparently used in the recalculation.

Miscellany: Data usage on Visible has dropped to about 200 MB per day, the lowest it has ever been. Obviously, the reason is that the approved Web site list is very short. In addition, free wireless hotspots are exploited whenever possible.

Fuck It Friday - 19

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

A letter of explanation was received concerning the tax refund from empire. The tax return was corrected and a new (lower) taxable income was calculated. Of course, the Hawai’i tax return now needs to be amended for a refund of $300 or so. What a “pain in the ass”! Fuck it!

Last year, the tax return of empire was also corrected and a larger refund was issued. The letter of explanation never arrived, most likely because of the mail forwarding fiasco (chronicled in Notes). Thus, no amended Hawai’i tax return was submitted. About $300 was forfeited as a result of the stupidity. There will not be another forfeiture from this point forward. Fuck it!

A late afternoon outing to Ala Moana Center was on the agenda. Dinner was courtesy Panda Express®. Incidentally, the food at this location is horrible, even worse than before. The whole purpose of the outing was to procure the AirPods Pro 2 USB-C version (on sale for $189) at Target®.

AirPods Pro 2

Yes, the old AirPods Pro 2 Lightning version is still fully operational. However, the latter is slated to serve primarily as ANC earplugs. A pint of Häagen-Dazs® ice cream and a banana were purchased for dessert. A brief stopover was made at the International Marketplace prior to returning to the “old folks home” in Waikiki. Fuck it!

So far, there has been no news about when the Target® store in Waikiki will open. The “coming soon” signage has been up for over a year now. Most likely, there is a lot of resistance from the duplicitous price-gouging businesses in the area. Fuck it!

The older “old folks home” building is being retrofitted was new air conditioning. All of the mausoleums currently have small wall-mounted units. That is being replaced. Large heat exchangers have been installed outside the building. The refrigerant conduits are being routed outside as well. Not exactly aesthetically pleasing. The smaller fan/condenser units will be mounted in each mausoleum. According to the buddy, the newer building is slated to have the same conversion, possibly by Summer season. Fuck it!

The Starbucks® on-line account is now inaccessible. Resetting the password is possible, but the account remains inaccessible even after the reset. Hacked by the face mask faggot, you think? Fuck it!

Addendum: The Beats® Studio Buds + was originally procured to be deployed as ANC earplugs. Unfortunately, the silicone ear tips did not fit snugly in the ear, while the AirPods Pro 2 ear tips do. Fuck it!

Miscellany: Starbucks® customer service responded after the problem was reported. Rather than solve the issue, the representative has requested that the process be accomplished through a mutual telephone conversation. What? The Starbucks® account is now abandoned. Fuck it!

May Day 2024

The fact that the “garden variety” Fascists have gone “all in” with totalitarianism suggests that they are in desperation mode. The proxy war in Ukraine is a lost cause, so the Fascists have ordered their leaders and Banderan Nazi puppets to commence “terrorist” attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure in Russia.

The Zionist pogrom in Gaza has also been a failure. Well, actually, the Zionist democide has been a raging success as far as the Zionists are concerned. Unfortunately, the Fascists did not anticipate any strong outside opposition. Now, they only have repression and violence left in their “toolbox.”

Hence, the pro-Palestine student protests are being crushed by the police state apparatus. Mind you, many of the protesters are from the “woke” school of thought. They were “all in” with BLM, climate change, the “super-duper corona” plan-demic, face masks, and the mRNA bioweapon. They were waving little Ukraine flags. Now, they have learned a harsh lesson. The Fascists demand total subordination and fealty. The opposition must understand that that the Fascist tumor must be completely eradicated or it will return with a vengeance.

Well, the mangy mutt and its assholic owner reside in the same building in the “old folks home” in Waikiki, actually in one of the mausoleums on one of the lower floors. The mangy pooch commences sporadic barking between 2am and 4am. The assholic owner leaves the windows open, so the mutt’s barking echos off of the other building. The suspected assholic owner is either the psychotic “tranny” or the fat ugly ho’ (new tenant).

A chance encounter with the buddy from the other building of the “old folks home” this evening led to an informative chat. About six of the residents from both buildings have passed on recently. This appears to be a record. He also confirmed that ambulances are coming and going frequently. Could the mRNA bioweapon be the culprit? Yeah, most likely.

Miscellany: A tax refund check for $809 was received from empire. What is going on here?