Clinic 2025

Makahiki Clinic

The morning visit to the Makahiki Clinic provided little relief. Blood pressure is back in the Stage 1 hypertension range. The Watch Series 9 EKGs were submitted. A full EKG was performed, but the result did not yield any abnormalities. However, a referral has been made to the same cardiologist of a few years ago. Bloodwork was also performed, and the results should be available in a couple of days.

In retrospect, the three-year hiatus from the health clinic was a bad decision (as mused upon last year subsequent to the medical examination). The only culprit is food. There are no healthy options at any food establishment, unless the latter specifically offers real healthy fare. Most likely, the arteries in the heart are partially clogged. A severe cardiac event is likely to occur soon.

On a less pathetic note, a box of Celestial Seasonings® Sleepytime Extra® tea was purchased at Target® on Sunday. The herbal tea is now an adjunct sleep aid to the melatonin treatments. The free coffee mug from the ABC Store has been deployed to brew the elixir.

Fuck It Friday - 34

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

This Fuck It Friday was a new milestone in the dining out saga. After tolerating the unprofessional conduct of most of the employees at the fast food joint in town, the end has come. The worst of the lot is the young obese Filipina “manager” with the grotesque puffy face. The bitch even got “lippy” while handing over the order of overpriced oatmeal. Incidentally, all of the front counter employees are “managers,” yet only a couple of them actually have customer service skills. And, only a couple of them are not obese. Fuck it!

After spending hundreds of dollars per month over ten or more years at that shitty fast food joint, the time came to mummify the entire situation. The “two for one” coupons were all discarded. The on-line account was immediately closed, forfeiting whatever rewards remained. And, the “app” was deleted. Fuck it!

Next, a stop was made at the Starbucks® in town and an order placed for another bowl of oatmeal. The staff of baristas there, while not blatantly rude, are indifferent to customers. They act as though they are celebrities. The staff at the Ala Moana Center (West) location are much friendlier and courteous. Anyway, the “app” and on-line account are slated for mummification, if no compelling reason arises to not do so. Fuck it!

So, what now for breakfast? A couple of Thomas’® cinnamon raisin bagels and Chobani® Greek yogurt (procured from Target®) will be the breakfast fare. The “bring your own breakfast” (BYOB) events will take place in the Makai Market food court in Ala Moana center or the International Marketplace. Dinner will either be frozen meals from Target® or salads from the ABC Store and consumed in the mausoleum at the “old folks home” in Waikiki. Dining out was not only costly, it was not pleasurable. Only a fool would continue such a malignant activity. Fuck it!

The other fast food joint in town has not been disqualified, although visits there will be few and far between. The staff is friendly, and they actually say, “Thank you.” And, the return to Panda Express has not yet been entertained. Fuck it!

6 Lamat 6 Keh

Another SVT event occurred on Saturday at the end of the weight workout at the gym. To clarify, the SVT events of late are not continuous tachycardia. Rather, the heart rapidly switches from a normal heart rate to a weak high heart rate. Thus, the heart rate ranged from 56bpm to 158bpm. The ordeal continued for 6 hours and 40 minutes. Heart rate returned to normal for a few hours. Then, the skipped (or delayed) heartbeats commenced.

On Monday, upon returning to Waikiki in the afternoon, a quick jaunt was made to the Ohua Clinic to schedule an appointment with any physician to discuss the heart palpitations and to obtain a comprehensive blood screening. The Watch Series 9 EKGs have been printed for submission. Sadly, the earliest appointment available is on Tuesday next week at 9:20am at the Makahiki Clinic. So, be it.

In a new twist, another possible adjunct cause of the heart palpitations is hypoglycemia (a symptom of diabetes). The latter finding was made manifest at the fast food joint in town. After the usual breakfast of two Egg McMuffins, the skipped (or delayed) heartbeats increased. Then, a free small vanilla shake was ordered and consumed. Surprisingly, heartbeats returned to normal. By the way, the vanilla shake was one of many food prizes accumulated during the recent Monopoly® contest promotion.

On Tuesday, an overpriced oatmeal breakfast was ordered at the fast food joint in town. Then, a free greasy apple pie was ordered. The carbohydrates and sugar made the workouts (weight and cardio) easier to accomplish. The skipped (or delayed) heartbeats were reduced in frequency. The cardio workout was much more productive with no hint of triggering an SVT event.

In conclusion, the steep reduction in carbohydrates and sugar did more than induce a weight loss of four pounds. Workouts became more fatiguing with a sense of “no energy.” SVT events may have been easier to trigger, too. Sleep, by the way, has not improved. The melatonin treatment appears to be fruitless.

On a side note, the collective “West” led by empire is accelerating in decline (read: controlled demolition). Even with the health issues, all of the approved news sources are perused several times daily. If the personal health crisis improves, there may be some commentary in Notes. However, the approved news sources and Web sites provide vastly better coverage.

Addendum: The quality of apples at Target® have improved significantly. So, an apple is once again being procured for lunch. In addition, a Clif® energy bar is an optional supplement to lunch. Unfortunately, Clif® bars only lists a fraction of the vitamins and minerals that it had a few years ago.

Postscript: There is most likely some heart damage that has accumulated over the last several months. Whether the latter proves fatal in the near future remains an open question.

Wing It Wednesday - 6

Wing It Wednesday (WIW)! Sporadic news and commentary of no particular interest to anyone ... WIW! The same ol’ shit is the primary focus of this edition.

The skipped (or delayed) heartbeats increased in frequency steadily through Saturday. The situation was approaching critical mass. So, a “test” of the Vienna Sausage was instituted in the evening. The palpitations ceased almost immediately.

Normal sinus rhythm (confirmed by EKG) continued until Tuesday. The palpitations commenced in the morning, but the frequency was only a fraction of what it was last week. Another “test” of the Vienna Sausage was instituted as a last resort. Again, the palpitations ceased. Sleep was,once again, of poor quality. Yet, Wednesday was essentially devoid of palpitations until the late afternoon. Currently, the only coping strategy is to just wing it.

Gym workouts continue in reduced mode. The weight workout has remained discretionary. However, no SVT event or palpitations occur during the weight workout, even without reductions. The cardio workout is still significantly reduced as a precaution since SVT events have been triggered previously during cardio sessions.

The melatonin treatment commenced on Friday night. So far, it has been ineffective. No drowsiness is induced. Quality of sleep remains unchanged (i.e., poor). The real problem is the awakening circa 4am. There are several awakening, but the one around 4am is the worst. Subsequently, sleep is impossible. The sleep monitoring on the Watch Series 9 confirms the latter. The only solution is to procure the alternative OTC sleep aid (with antihistaminic ingredient) and take it at upon wakening at 4am.

On a side note, a recent study of melatonin made the news on Monday. The headlines stated that long-term use of melatonin has been linked with higher heart failure rate. The headlines are misleading. The study does not implicate supplemental melatonin as directly causing heart failure. Instead, melatonin as a sleep aid tends to mask one of the primary symptoms of heart problems (insomnia). Thus, heart problems could remain undetected until the worst occurs.

A notice was received on Tuesday stating that the rent at the “old folks home” in Waikiki is going up. For the mausoleum, the rent will increase by $90 (less than what was stated by the new resident manager). However, the increase is effective at the start of the year, about four months earlier than the original disclosure.

Addendum: Melatonin will continue to be administered for 30 days as recommended by several on-line medical sources. Resumption of melatonin may or may not occur upon evaluation after an unspecified break.

Miscellany: The Subway® on-line account has been mummified. The establishment has been phased out permanently.

Day of Samhain 2025

The Day of Samhain is here. The afternoon outing to the International Marketplace commenced at 4:30pm. The entire mall was already packed with revelers. Parents were escorting costumed children to collect candy and other treats at the stores. Costumed adults were staging for the main event along Kalakau’a Avenue at sunset, basically a long procession of revelers walking down the promenade. There was no further interest in observing the festivities.

A little bit of time was spent loitering in the mall. Part of this Notes post was composed there. Then, more Healthy Choice® Power Bowl frozen meals (on sale) were procured at Target® for dinner. The trek back to the “old folks home” was uneventful. Of course, the heart palpitations were occurring unabated since earlier in the day.

A chance encounter with neighbor, Ignacio, occurred on Thursday at the start of the late afternoon outing. Ignacio was walking back to the “old folks home” after shopping. A brief discussion ensued, mostly about the “old folks home.” His parting advice … “Don’t get old.”

The first dosage of melatonin is scheduled for later in the evening of the Day of Samhain. The sleep issue must be resolved, or the mind is just going to snap. Of course, this is only the initial phase of geriatric degeneration. There’s lots more “fun” to come.

Miscellany: The BlockBear and Hush extensions for the Safari Web browser have been replaced with wBlock. Highly recommended.

Unexciting Stories - 2

Unexciting stories … sporadic news and commentary of no interest to anyone. Mundanity is always the primary focus. Let the unexcitement begin …

Another SVT event occurred on Wednesday during the first ten minutes of the cardio workout at the gym. Same ol’ shit. Peak heart rate was recorded at 170 on the elliptical machine grip heart sensors. The duration was 4.5 hours.

The worst part of the ordeal was the bus ride back to Waikiki. All of the buses were at least 30 minutes late. Then, a roadblock in Waikiki caused a major traffic jam. After an hour had elapsed since boarding the bus in town, the need to alight at Kapi’olani Boulevard was necessitated by a full bladder. Recall that SVT events require “draining the lizard” frequently. A short walk to the Kapi’olani gym provided relief. Another bus was boarded a block from the gym. The ride took nearly 30 minutes.

As usual, an EKG was taken with the Watch Series 9 during the ordeal. No notched T-waves were observed. The SVT event ended during the late afternoon outing to the International Marketplace. Another EKG was taken, with sinus rhythm restored. No unusual patterns associated with a heart attack were noted.

The central bank of empire lowered the short-term interest rate again in the quest to ultimately achieve ZIRP. The personal stress associated with the latter probably triggered the SVT event. However, with the possibility of a “keel over” event clearly on the horizon, there was no fretting over cutting expenditures at the moment.

On Tuesday, pieces of a storage cart with drawers were espied near the trash dumpster at the “old folks home” in Waikiki while heading out to the International Marketplace for the late afternoon outing. During the outing, the geriatric mind came up with a solution for a stand for the Cuisinart® microwave oven. On the way back to the mausoleum, one of the drawers of the aforementioned decrepit storage cart was salvaged. It was cleaned thoroughly. Then, it was turned upside down and four adhesive pads were attached to protect the shitty linoleum floor. The surplus pads were originally purchased for the beloved chair. Of course, the microwave oven is only about ten inches above the floor, but who cares?

The generic melatonin tablets have not been deployed yet as a countermeasure to poor quality of sleep. There are some reservations, but no other alternative exists. Other OTC sleep products are usually antihistamines. Although the latter does induce drowsiness, it can also increase any presenting anxiety.

In the previous Notes post, the “testing” of the Vienna Sausage was hypothesized to minimize skipped (or delayed) heartbeats. Unfortunately, “testing” the Vienna Sausage regularly or daily is a ludicrous idea. The geriatric body cannot handle that kind of a workload. Senior citizens avoid such activities (including actual copulation) because a “keel over” event is likely to occur.

Miscellany: The latest geriatric malady, hemorrhoids, is slowly reducing in swelling. The generic hemorrhoidal cream has been applied daily. Hopefully, it will be completely cured before the upcoming tragic “keel over” event.

Experiment

As ridiculous as this topic may be, a “test” of the Vienna Sausage was deliberately performed on Tuesday evening as an experiment to observe whether the latter would trigger an SVT or other cardiac event. The skipped (read: delayed) heartbeats were occurring about twice per minute prior to the “test.” What happened next is quite astonishing. Heartbeats returned to the normal sinus rhythm and remained so until the next morning.

After the usual breakfast at the fast food joint in town, the skipped (delayed) heartbeats returned. Consuming food apparently increases the heart’s workload and triggered the palpitations (misfirings of the heart’s electrical pathways). Another EKG was taken with the Watch Series 9 a while later. The readout indicated that there was no delayed or skipped heartbeat. Rather, the culprit was an odd heartbeat with a tall notched T-wave, but with no delay.

A successful “test” of the Vienna Sausage would release the following into the bloodstream:

• Dopamine
• Oxytocin
• Serotonin
• Endorphins
• Prolactin
• Endocannabinoids
• Norepinephrine
• Adrenaline

One or a combination of these substances has the ability to temporarily provide a correction for the palpitations. Suppressing the palpitations would most likely circumvent the triggering of an SVT event. Of course, poor quality of sleep is most likely the primary cause.

Although not truly scientific, the experiment was repeated on Wednesday evening. Heartbeats returned to sinus rhythm with no anomalies. Only about five heart palpitations were detected between then and Thursday evening. Sleep quality was a little better than usual. The gym workout went smoothly. The cardio session was increased slightly in intensity.

The experiment was repeated again on Thursday evening even though no heart palpitations were detected prior. The result? No heart palpitations were detected through the night. Two small HRV spikes occurred overnight, so there may have been a few anomalies. Sleep quality remained unchanged. There was a two-second SVT event during the weight workout at the gym. Then, heartbeats returned to normal. The cardio workout, albeit still reduced in intensity, was devoid of any incidents. What can be made of this?

Another noteworthy observation is the daily prevalence of high anxiety almost the entirety of waking hours (except during gym workouts). The feeling can be likened to a prolonged squeamish feeling in the gut. The elevated anxiety is the most probable cause of sleep deprivation. Of interest, melatonin is one OTC products that can supposedly reduce anxiety.

On a side note, the appointment for the annual physical examination at the Ohua Clinic was mysteriously rescheduled to January 6th of next year. An attempt may be made to change the appointment to an earlier date. Or, perhaps the time has come to find another healthcare provider.

Addendum: The skipped (delayed heartbeats commenced after the shower at the gym and occurring about one every few minutes. Still far better than before the experiment.

Miscellany: Over 30 days have elapsed since the introduction of the Watch Series 9 hypertension notifications feature. The device has been collecting data continuously, but no notifications have appeared even after the 30-day normalization and analysis period.

Gym 2025

Ol’ Lavahead at the Gym (2022)

The tapering of the gym workout commenced on Monday with much consternation. The weight workouts are being adjusted by dropping the maximum weight for each exercise by one notch and (optional) reducing sets at the new maximum by one.

The cardio workout on the elliptical machine was modified as well. The incline is now set at 16 instead of 20 with the resistance reduced to one (from eight). Frankly, the latter modification is no longer reaping any cardiovascular benefits. However, the new settings are unlikely to trigger an SVT event.

The photograph (above) is still applicable at this point in time. There have no external physiological changes since the 2022 year. The haircut is the same, too. Sheesh!

There was a minor bout with food poisoning early Monday morning. The symptoms appeared at 1am, which comprised of abdominal pain. The culprit remains a mystery. The only fresh food consumed included a salad and half of a papaya (procured at the ABC Store). Regardless, sleep was probably limited to a couple of hours and of poor quality. The Watch Series 9 recorded 6.25 hours of sleep, which is definitely doubtful.

EKG of Heart Palpitation (Left)

Sleep deprivation increases the amount and duration of skipped (read: delayed) heartbeats. The palpitations continued all day and into the evening. An EKG was taken and the suspect heartbeat was isolated in the readout (above). What appears to be two T-waves is actually a single tall notched one. The duration until the next heartbeat is long. A heartbeat with a normal T-wave follows. The EKG will be presented to the attending physician at the Ohua Clinic during the annual medical examination scheduled on November 3rd.

The causes for heart palpitations and SVT events are numerous. Sleep deprivation, dehydration, electrolytes imbalance, over-exercise, consuming large meals, diabetes, caffeine, anxiety, stress, heart disease, old age, and so on. The old codger can “tick many of the boxes.” So, a combination is most probable.

As predicted in Notes, the physical body can be maintained during the geriatric years. However, the body will eventually accelerate degeneration on its own accord. Technically, that signals the end of the “good years.” That time is here.

Revision: Workouts at the gym will be discretionary and vary depending on “good” or “bad” days. On “bad” days, the entire workout could be scrubbed.

Addendum: The melatonin countermeasure for insomnia has not been deployed yet. No schedule has been set as of this date..

Miscellany: The Sleep and Chill ambient music controls were added to the Control Panel of the iPhone 16 Pro. There are about four playlists for each genre. It worked the first time. After that, no music and the iPhone became extremely hot. Piece of shit. Back to House Music.

Postscript: Another coffee mug was received from the ABC Store upon submitting $100 of receipts (over a 14-day period) for the gift promotion. This mug will not be given away like the last three. It’s safe for microwave ovens.

8 K’an 2 Sak’

Another day, another brush with death. The latest SVT event occurred on Saturday at the gym. Five minutes into the cardio workout, atrial fibrillation commenced. The duration was four hours, long after the quick return to the “old folks home” in Waikiki. The laundry chores had to performed under the duress of constant heart palpitations. The peak heart rate was 143bpm, and the duration was four hours. A new twist came in form of a brief moment when the heart rate fell to 43bpm.

Oddly, the Watch Series 9 recorded sleep the night before at over seven hours, the first ever in a long time. If that is the case, then sleep deprivation is not the cause. Could the workouts at the gym be just too much for the 70-year-old codger?

There are very few age peers who workout at the gym, whereas most of the other “garden variety” senior citizens are really not doing much of anything. The personal workout has essentially been the same since the minor downgrade about 15 years ago or so. Thus, the weight workouts have multiple sets and high maximum weights. The cardio workout was downgraded to only 30 minutes, but still strenuous. The other age peers are doing much lighter maximum weights, and cardio is restricted to walking on the treadmill or using the recumbent bicycles. The old codger is the only one who is doing workouts that even many younger gym members cannot (or will not) perform. That’s the reason why the old codger doesn’t look like his age peers.

Searching the Net for information about workouts for senior citizens 70 years of age and up reveals that the age peers are following the correct workout protocol. Thus, the time has come to begin tapering (i.e., “throw in the towel”) the current workouts. Quite disappointing, actually. The initial plan was to maintain the regimen for at least another four years. The body obviously has other plans.

On a side notes, a bottle of generic melatonin tablets was reluctantly procured at Target®. The trial run has not yet been scheduled. There are some reported side effects like bizarre dreams resulting from melatonin. Bizarre dreams are already occurring. Will they become even more bizarre?

The “night shift” function on the iPhone 16 Pro has been re-enabled to shift the display toward the red spectrum after 9pm. The “warmer” display setting supposedly reduces blue light exposure and improve sleep quality. The feature was previously disabled because studies indicated that sleep quality didn’t improve much when enabled. Well, at this point in time, every little bit helps.

Towel

The time has come to “throw in the towel.” Another SVT even occurred on Thursday about halfway through the cardio workout at the gym. The emergency cooldown protocol was invoked, but to no avail. The SVT event was five hours in length, ending at 6pm during the late afternoon outing to the International Marketplace. Peak heart rate was 153bpm (recorded by the Watch Series 9). No other details necessary.

The SVT events are not temporary. There appears to be a heart malfunction which is resulting in atrial fibrillation. Skipped (read: delayed) heartbeats are also regularly observed. A return to the cardiologist will involve more tests and the dispensing of beta blocker and anticoagulant medication. There are various contraindications associated with both types of medications. And, once put on the medicinal regime, the duration is lifetime.

SVT events occurring a few years down the line are likely to result in a “keel over” event. The heart and the aging body will not be able survive such a traumatic cardiac event. A stroke or heart attack is highly probable in any case. Sleep deprivation is still the most likely culprit. The Watch has logged sleep for several days, none of which even came close to seven hours. There are always several awakenings. From what can be ascertained, there are a series of bizarre dreams during sleep. The nature of the dreams cause the awakenings. The Watch has recorded the heart rate, ranging from 49bpm to 78bpm during sleep. The dreams have triggered the higher heart rates. Clearly, some kind of tranquilizer is required as a countermeasure.

The attempt to reduce saturated fat, sodium, sugar, and starchy carbohydrates continues with great difficulty. Saturated fat, sodium and sugar is very difficult to avoid with externally prepared food (read: frozen meals, even so-called “healthy” ones). Starchy carbohydrates (rice, bread, potatoes) can be effectively reduced. However, weight loss is quite dramatic. Three pounds can be shedded in less than a week, a very alarming situation when already at the optimal weight.

Apples (all varieties) are no longer purchased for lunch. The quality of the apples has been extremely shitty. The inside is soft and mushy. So, bananas are now the only fresh fruit consumed. Raisins are also a diet staple. Junkless® granola bars are supplementing the lunch for now. The return to the venerable Clif® Bars is likely, even though the price has gone up. Subway® and Starbucks® have effectively been phased out. And, no return to Panda Express® has yet been planned.

Well, the time is ripe to also “throw in the towel” on the new cost-cutting measures. Of course, efforts will be made to reduce expenditures on crappy food and useless “junk.” However, if something must be procured, there will be no restrictions imposed on such acquisitions. All personal assets must be depleted before death, which could happen anytime now.

Addendum: Lavender aromatherapy and melatonin tablets are being investigated as possible mitigations for insomnia.

Miscellany: Vision remains stable with a slight degradation in the right eye, according to the optician. The appointment was on Monday morning.

Fuck It Friday - 33

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

The time has come to officially recognize the end of the “good years.” The on-going and new health issues indicate that decrepitude is accelerating (read: FUBAR). The physique is surprisingly holding up with no change in external aesthetics in decades. Of course, internally is where changes for the worst are taking place. Fuck it!

Skipped (actually delayed) heartbeats are now a regular occurrence. The physiological cause is similar to an SVT event except it only affects one heartbeat. The actual trigger is unknown. Consuming a bottle of BodyArmor® Lyte seems to temporarily abate the symptoms. Could vitamin and mineral deficiency be the cause? In any case, the likelihood of a real cardiac event occurring soon is high. Fuck it!

The plan to reduce monthly expenditures has yet to be properly invoked. The possibility of a “keel over” event in the near future certainly negates any need to cut personal expenses. Yeah, death is a real “game changer.” Fuck it!

The new Vans® shoes have finally replaced the worn out Mau’i & Sons® shoes (for gym use only). The Vans® shoes were purchased many moons ago while Ross was still in town. Yeah, ridiculous. The same goes for all the consumables stored in the mausoleum in the “old folks home” in Waikiki. “Stuff” needs to be used or consumed. Fuck it!

World events have been FUBAR as of late, eh? The situation in empire is even worse, what with the government shutdown and all. Keeping current with the news has been quite a task. All of the approved sources are perused a few times daily. There has been no desire to add personal commentary in Notes about the latter. Interested parties should review all of the approved Web sites listed in Notes. Otherwise, fuck it!

Anatomy of Insomnia 2025

Sleep deprivation continues to plague the old codger. The target bedtime is set to 11:10pm. The target duration is set to 8 hours. The Watch Series 9 then tracks four out of five parameters to derive the sleep score. Wrist temperature is not included because the Sleep Focus feature is not activated.

As usual, the intent to sleep well applied to last night. Bedtime occurred at 11:05pm. Sometime around 1am, a major bout with post-nasal drip transpired for no apparent reason and continued until 4pm. At 4:30am, the fat ugly ho’ took her mangy mutt out for a walk. The ho’ walks very slow for obvious reasons, so it takes the obese slob nearly four minutes to traverse the length of the parking lot at the “old folks home in Waikiki. The mangy mutt was barking and squealing all the way. At 6am, the sound of the reverse alarm beeping of an unidentified truck broke the silence. At 6:30am, the attempt to sleep was aborted.

The need to “drain the lizard” resulted in eight interruptions. The average amount of time between each “drain the lizard” session was 42 minutes. The cause and frequency seems to be food-related. However, identifying the culprit has been elusive.

So far, the dinner fare has only included salads, frozen “healthy” meals, or a combination of both. Evening snacks are selected from whatever is available, which includes roasted nuts, raisins, Chobani® Greek yogurt, Orowheat® cinnamon raisin English muffins, and Thomas’® cinnamon raisin bagels.

All daily activities have been affected by sleep deprivation including the composition of new posts to Notes. The daily gym workouts are now temporarily modified “on the fly” to compensate for fatigue and to prevent triggering an SVT event. All in all, continued sleep deprivation will likely result in a “keel over” event occurring with a short time frame. A modification of all current policies is imminent.

Addendum: The Chobani Greek yogurt is now suspect. It has not been consumed as an evening snack for a while (until last night). The sugar content is high. Lactose intolerance is also highly probable.

SVT & Shit

The Watch Series 9 is now over 1.5 years in possession. So, the new Sport Loop that was purchased over a year ago has replaced the original. The Watch has served its owner quite well.

The blood-oxygen monitoring and sleep tracking functions were re-enabled a few days ago. Sleep tracking appears to be much more accurate. A new algorithm, you think? In any case, there’s a new Sleep Score function, too. The latest assessment was 70 (out of 100). Sleep deprivation is definitely an issue, eh? Blood-oxygen readings have a wider spread than a year ago, which is not good.

Another SVT event occurred on Thursday upon return from town to the mausoleum in the “old folks home” in Waikiki. The palpitations commenced with no apparent trigger. Dehydration was ruled out, as a bottle of water (11 fluid ounces) was consumed during the ride on the bus. The SVT event continued throughout the late afternoon outing to the International Marketplace and subsequent return to the mausoleum. The need to “drain the lizard” every ten minutes (an SVT complication) was annoying. A bottle of BodyArmor® Lyte sport drink was procured at Target® to prevent dehydration.

The SVT event ended spontaneously after 3 hours and 45 minutes. The peak heart rate, as recorded by the Watch, was 130bpm. An EKG was taken for the record. This latest incident now rules out dehydration as a cause. The main culprit is insomnia. Of course, heart disease cannot be ruled out.

As for the diet, dinners now consist of salads (mostly from the ABC Store) and Healthy Choice frozen dinners. The current plan is to limit or eliminate breakfast at the fast food joint in town. The Egg McMuffins are probably the “healthiest” selection on the entire menu, but that’s not saying much. An alternative breakfast is being devised.

The Cuisinart® microwave oven is really nice. It’s actually overkill for personal needs. Oddly, no nearby retail outlet stocks any microwave cookware. Specifically, a container made for soup is being sought, but to no avail. A stand or cart for the appliance would be nice, but nothing is available at any local Target® store (in order to obtain free delivery).

The Target® Circle 360® membership has been excellent, primarily for the free delivery. First of all, it was free (as opposed to $100 per year). An additional $5 reward was accrued by making the first delivery order. Then, there are monthly “freebies.” Last month, there was a $10 reward toward purchase of food products. This month, a big-ass container of mixed nuts ($18 retail) was the chosen reward.

Addendum: The Contigo® stainless steel water bottle has only been deployed a few times. Unfortunately, it adds too much weight to the gym bag. The small disposable plastic bottle works fine for now.

Miscellany: A couple incidents involving a 74-year-old fat slob gym member resulted in minor altercations, although the slob appears to want to engage in violence. The incidents were reported to the gym management in order to reduce personal liability in case self-defense requires a homicidal solution. Details may or may not be forthcoming in Notes.

Postscript: Heart disease is most likely the cause of the SVT events. High cholesterol and hypertension have been diagnosed earlier. Perhaps, diabetes has silently entered the fray. Long story short, death may be much closer than previously thought. That presumption will be a real “game changer.”

Unexciting Stories - 1

Unexciting stories … sporadic news and commentary of no interest to anyone. Mundanity is always the primary focus. Let the unexcitement begin …

The meeting with the resident manager at the “old folks home” in Waikiki on Wednesday occurred at 4:30pm because he apparently already had a scheduled appointment at 4pm. The second impression of the clown is no better than the first. Well, at least he is in his office daily during regular business hours. The big question is … why are all of the managers of these slums always obese Polynesians?

A chance encounter with neighbor Ignacio occurred on Friday evening by the ABC Store on the way back to the “old folks home.” Ignacio was on his way to Target® to purchase cookies and ice cream for dinner. “I have to enjoy myself,” he said. Ignacio was advised of the upcoming rent increase. He also stated the reason for his latest stay at the hospital. Apparently, he had some kind of prostate surgery.

Ignacio mentioned the numerous recent “keel over” events at the “old folks home.” One of the deceased resided on the ninth floor in the building housing the mausoleum. Ignacio was interested in moving into that unit, but he felt it was “jinxed.”

A few weeks ago while doing laundry on the ninth floor, that particular mausoleum was noted to have its entrance sealed with a plastic sheet. A long zipper ran the length from top to bottom for entry. The laundry room and fire exit doors were propped open, a high-powered fan (set to full blast) was sitting by the stairwell. Most likely, the tenant “keeled over” and was found decomposing much later. Hence, that mausoleum was completely refurbished. That’s probably the reason for the rent increase. So many tenants have “keeled over” in the same way, and each of the associated mausoleums had to be completely refurbished.

Anyway, Ignacio is concerned that he might “keel over” soon. “I don’t want to die in that place,” he reiterated. So, he is contemplating expatriating to Thailand or Vietnam, if his physician believes he is fit to travel. Yet, what’s going to happen when he “keels over” in a foreign nation?

The Cuisinart® microwave oven was finally deployed on Saturday evening. Two Healthy Choice® Simply Steamers Chicken & Vegetable Stir Fry frozen meals were procured at Target for the occasion. The meals cost $4 each. The portions were small but satisfying. The new microwave oven works quite well. It is extremely quiet in operation. And, all of the sound effects can be silenced. And, it is fairly large and weigh over 30 pounds. Sheesh!

Nearly all of the personal monthly expenses are food purchases. Thus, the new plan is to reduce current $700 to $800 expenditures by 50 percent … probably impossible, but worth an attempt. Subway® is essentially phased out. Panda Express® has been phased out since April. Starbucks® (for oatmeal) will likely be phased out. Visits to the latter venues are still possible, but will be limited to once or twice per month. Salads will still be procured. The return of Bush’s baked beans as a dinner option is also being entertained. As for breakfast, alternatives to the primary fast food joint in town are being investigated.

The rent increase at the “old folks home,” ZIRP/NIRP, and inflation have left no other options. The previous retirement life-style will be sorely missed. The forced return to the miserly ways has increased stress and mental fatigue. The current situation is FUBAR.

Addendum: The blood-oxygen monitoring and sleep tracking features on the Watch Series 9 have been re-enabled.

9 Kawak 17 Ch’en

Two SVT events occurred recently. On Friday, upon return to Waikiki from town at 3:30pm, the heart palpitations commenced while ascending the stairs to the Waikiki Market. Then, on Sunday morning, the second bout appeared during the walk to Starbucks in Ala Moana Center. Both episodes ran the duration of five hours. No other details necessary. Same ol’ demoralizing shit.

Upon return to the mausoleum in the “old folks home” that same Friday afternoon, an envelope was observed to be taped to tomb entrance. The enclosed letter from the new resident manager announced the commencement of the annual recertification process. An appointment time was set for Wednesday this week at noon. A ten-day period was allotted to change the appointment. Ten days? There are only seven days between last Friday and Wednesday this week with the office closed on the weekend. Bullshit!

So, with an SVT event in progress, a visit was made to the office in the other building. Of course, no one informed any of the tenants that the manager’s office was not in that building. One of the maintenance guys happened to be there. He clarified that the manager’s office was in the same building as the mausoleum. Lots of running around ensued while the heart was beating erratically.

The new manager, an obese Samoan guy, seemed gruff upon first impression. The discourse about ability to pay rent was idiotic and insulting. That nonsense was the prelude to the announcement that rent will increase by $114 per month. However, he did agree to change the meeting time to Monday at 4pm. The required financial documents were dispatched to him by e-mail.

On Monday, a concerted effort was made to return to Waikiki in time for the appointment at the “old folks home.” A salad was procured at the ABC Store along the way. The salad was quickly consumed, which was not enjoyable. Then, the discovery was made that the clown was not in his office. An attempt was made to see if the fool was in the other building. Fortunately, the security box outside actually ties into his phone. The slob apparently was not even on the property. He was long gone before the official 4pm closing time. Obviously, he’s not worried about first impressions. And, clearly, he is just another “diversity hire” dickhead. Same ol’ ghetto shit. The appointment was rescheduled for Wednesday at 4pm.

The latest rent increase (a full 14 percent, by the way) is a precursor for a less resource conservative tenancy. So, the big-ass refrigerator is now slated for deployment. It has never been used before. Now, it will be running even if a small cup of Greek yogurt is all that’s in it. The air conditioner? Run it anytime to satisfy a whim. The electric range (never used before) may also be deployed. Obviously, electricity is covered in the rent. Pay more, use more.

Cuisinart® Microwave Oven

The charge for the cancelled order for the microwave oven from Target® was finally reversed on Monday. The new plan was to order another microwave oven, but more compact in size. Sadly, the smaller models were no longer on sale. So, the Cuisinart® full-size microwave oven (made in China) was reordered today. The whole process was extremely quick. The new appliance was sitting outside the mausoleum door upon arrival. A different Shipt “shopper” made for a great experience.

Incidentally, there was an initial “gnashing of teeth” about spending $90 (on sale) on the microwave oven. The foolishness was quickly extinguished when reminiscing about the cost of the Beats® Pill ($150), the Beats® Studio Buds + ($130), and the AirPods Pro 2 Lightning ($250) device, as well as the Braun® electric shaver ($40), that were given away over the past few months. The prices quotes were the actual amounts paid (before tax). Add in the $500 loss upon trading in the iPad Pro M4 for a gift card. That’s $1,070 wasted. Sheesh!

On a side note, an account at the Smiling Mind site was re-established. The stress from the SVT events, death anxiety, NIRP/ZIRP, and the rent increase is … well, causing more stress. The next foray into “mindfulness” will be taken much more seriously.

Addendum: The Cuisinart® microwave oven is now sitting on top of its shipping box adjacent to the kitchen area. No microwave cart will be purchased. The box will suffice.

Things Fall Apart 2025

Empire and the collective “West” are collapsing. The daily violent and senseless murders and shootings in empire are clear signs of advanced societal decay. The masses of rank-and-file peons are “losing it” and they don’t even know why.

The so-called “fabric of society” has completely unraveled. The majority of the peons are assholes and damned proud of that fact. They display aggressive and belligerent behavior, which is why violence quickly erupts even in superfluous circumstances. Violent death is promoted and glorified in the entertainment and games media. Death is always the recurring theme in human legacy as a means to facilitate its denial. The Great Prophet, Ernest Becker, warned about the denial of death and its sociopolitical effects.

Then, take a look at the ZIRP/NIRP fiasco at play. For the same rank-and-file peons, lower interest rates means lower mortgage and credit interest rates. Yet, home valuations (read: assets) and consumer prices are going to rise exponentially (not inverse proportionately). The stress created by this “zero sum” game can only lead to more in-class violence. For the affluent class of assholes, this means nothing. Their wealth will increase exponentially to compensate.

On Wednesday, a full-size microwave oven was ordered from Target for delivery to the mausoleum in the “old folks home” in Waikiki. Target® Circle 360® subcontracts delivery to a firm named Shipt. Thus, when ordering on-line, the product must be in-stock at one of the regional locations. The Shipt delivery person is actually a hired “shopper” who has “no skin in da game.” Thus, Shipt is the weakest logistical link. The order was subsequently cancelled by the Shipt “shopper” because the product was allegedly “not in stock.”

About 30 minutes was spent discussing the situation with a manager at Target® in Waikiki. She called the Ala Moana Center store to verify that the microwave oven was in stock, and deduced that the Shipt “shopper” probably couldn’t find the latter and didn’t bother to inquire. Although the order was cancelled, the charge still appears on the personal credit card. Long story short, this is another chapter in the “woke” and “diversity hire” debacle.

On a side note, the fallout from the dubious iOS 26 upgrade has reached a fever pitch. There have been a few articles about the upgrade in various technology “blogs.” The ones with comment sections proved to be quite telling. A very large number of people who upgraded are extremely dissatisfied with the new “skin.” Frankly, the aesthetics are pretty poor on the small screen. The unnecessary animations are also consuming more battery power.

Addendum: About 10 percent of the local population is still donning face masks in public. When did the “corona” hoax end? Yeah, years ago.

NIRP 2025

The central bank of empire relinquished control to “Orange Bad Man” as it commenced a series of short-term interest rate reductions. ZIRP is the final objective. However, that interest rate is well below real inflation. In actuality, empire has been under NIRP for a long time. The ramifications are clear. As the rate reductions continue, asset and consumer prices will soar. And, money in the bank becomes essentially worthless.

On Monday, all personal Apple® devices were updated. The files for iOS 26 and WatchOS 26 were relatively large, so the process required a lot of time. The Liquid Glass “skin” doesn’t look too good on the small iPhone screen (especially with extremely dark backgrounds). The floating toolbars, however, seem to be a nice enhancement. There are a few new features, but the core OSes appear to be the same as the previous versions.

A bedbug was found on Monday morning as it crawled around on the Intex® airbed in the mausoleum in the “old folks home” in Waikiki. It was knocked unconscious and given a hot bath in the mausoleum’s vanity sink drain. The bedbug was either a stowaway in the gym bag, or it migrated from a neighboring tomb. Fortunately, there’s really no place on the plastic airbed where the varmit could get “comfy” and become a real nuisance.

The commode in the mausoleum nearly overflowed on Sunday. There was some kind of obstruction in the drainage pipe. Quite odd since the commode is only used for “draining the lizard” and flushed only twice per day. Given some information provided by fellow Sand Island homeless shelter alumnus and contractor (back in the “Corona” days), Randy, the problem was solved without the use of a plunger. Commode drainage pipes require regular flushing to incrementally move the sludge in the pipe to the main outlet. The commode was allowed to fill nearly to the brim, which the weight of the water pushed the sludge onward. The process was repeated multiple times until proper flow was restored.

Sleep deprivation, high blood pressure, and now … hemorrhoids! What is an old codger to do? Sheesh! A tube of generic hemorrhoid cream treatment was purchased at Target® to soothe the discomfort. A tube of generic hydrocortisone cream was purchased a week ago to deal with the odd rashes and insect bites that occur daily while sitting in International Marketplace. A lot of the homeless loiter there. Some of them have pets. A few of the scummy tourists could also be the source. Anyway, mortality is coming to the forefront.

The Subway® in Pioneer Plaza in town raised its prices this week. So, dining at the establishment will be phased out in a week or so. As the prices at all dining venues go from ridiculous to absurd, the latter venues will be phased out. Sadly, food preparation in the mausoleum will be the only option. Fortunately, the free year membership in Target® Circle 360® has been activated. A new microwave oven will be ordered and delivered soon.

Miscellany: The desire for coffee has abated significantly. The minor withdrawal effects have also abated. There are no plans for the resumption of coffee consumption.

SVT Solaces

Thursday was a very trying day. Two SVT events occurred. The first event commenced during the weight workout in the gym. The duration was 1.5 hours. No countermeasures were taken. Fortunately, a lighter cardio workout was possible. Breakfast consisted of oatmeal at Starbucks® in town, and supplemented with a banana and Chobani® Greek yogurt from Target®. No coffee, of course. A cup of water was requested. A huge cup of water was dispensed. Only half of the latter was consumed before working out. So, dehydration did not appear to be the cause.

The second SVT event occurred upon finishing dinner at the other Subway® in Pioneer Plaza in town. The meal includes a small beverage, of which lemonade is always chosen. The cup is always filled to the brim with ice to reduce the actual amount of lemonade (no doubt saturated with high fructose corn syrup). About half of the beverage was consumed with the sandwich. So dehydration did not seem to be the issue. Long story short, the duration of the SVT event was 3 hours exactly. Sitting at the International Marketplace, the last resort option was a bottle of BodyArmor® Lyte sport drink from Target®. Upon consuming the drink, the SVT event ended within five minutes.

Sleep deprivation continues to be a problem. The latter most likely is the major catalyst for the SVT events. Dehydration is also a culprit. Yet, how much water should be consumed? A few gallons? In addition, the HRV measurements taken by the Watch Series 9 directly correlate with the SVT events. The Watch only calculates HRV in long intervals. So, it may not always take a measurement during the ordeal. The SVT events have been composed of a mixture of normal heartbeats and palpitations, often alternating every few seconds. Any spike in HRV over 40ms is probably when the Watch has measured the transitions.

On Wednesday, ProtonVPN apparently experienced some kind of problem. The ProtonVPN “app” and WireGuard® “app” were apparently not functioning. The VPN was not personally enabled at the time. However, the issue was posted in a thread on Reddit. Proton restored everything within a few hours. Reddit has been quite useful lately.

On a side note, there was little interest in the Apple® “Awe Dropping” event on Monday. All of the new devices were … ho hum. And the new iOS 26 “skin” is tedious at best. The iPhone 16 Pro was procured in January of this year. So, when the one-year warranty expires, then a decision will be made about possibly purchasing the newer model.

Miscellany: The Watch Series 9 will be getting the hypertension notifications option in the WatchOS update next week. Now that’s something to be excited about.

Postscript: No discussion about the infamous September 11th event appears in this post. The event was discussed in detail in the legacy journal and old “blog.” Those opinions have not changed.

Adiós, Coffee Amigo

The last sip of coffee occurred on Tuesday last week at the fast food joint in town. Only about one-third of the smallest-sized cup of the brew was consumed as a haircut at the Institute of Hair Design was of higher priority. No SVT event transpired, although some effects of caffeine were still present.

No coffee has been consumed since then. Caffeine withdrawal only produced moderate sluggishness and no headaches. The overall feeling is lack of energy. And, of course, breakfast felt incomplete. Starbucks® is still being patronized, although a cup of water is requested instead of coffee.

Coffee Day is celebrated close to the end of September. However, there will be no celebration in the mausoleum in the “old folks home” in Waikiki. Being a coffee aficionado for several decades, though, will spark a little reminiscence. Coffee can never be consumed again and will surely be missed.

Most of the bodily functions have returned to normal. However, sleep deprivation is a stubborn problem. The heart is skipping beats regularly, too, which most likely correlates to the HRV spikes. EKG readings taken by the Watch Series 9 are showing normal sinus rhythm. The only conclusion is that a serious undetected heart condition may be lurking in the background.

The real issue is one of age. The body of a 70-year-old codger is in the final stages before death. Lots of changes are taking place, and degeneration will only accelerate. Working out at the gym has preserved the external physique quite well. However, the internal biological functions are declining steadily regardless. Hence, all of the “surprise” maladies. Heck, many people don’t even make it to their seventies. Sheesh!

The State of Hawai’i has declared an emergency concerning Hurricane Kiko, even though the latter is weakening and should pass above the island chain on Tuesday. Once again, fools were already rushing to various retail outlets and hoarding food, water, and other essentials. Will there be evacuations on Tuesday? Yeah, same ol’ shit.

On a side note, dining out has become much more expensive. Take, for example, Lahaina Chicken in the Makai Market food court in Ala Moana Center. The prime rib dinner that was previously priced at $19 is $24 now. Say what? It’s the exact same dinner, by the way. There are no plans to patronize the establishment anytime in the future. Fast food prices are also exorbitant. Examples are too numerous to list. Yet, the central bank of empire has claimed that inflation is in check. ZIRP is “on the menu” with two (short-term interest) rate cuts coming later this year.

The $200 spent in the allotted timeframe at Target® has yielded the free Circle 360® membership for one year. It has not been activated yet, although the offer expires at the end of the month. Once activated, a microwave oven will be purchased and set up for the free delivery. With ZIRP on the horizon, food expenses must be reduced. Everything is so “fucked up.”

Slave Labor Day 2025

On Thursday last week, a bout with minor food poisoning occurred at 1am. After much deliberation, only the Subway® meal would be the likely suspect. Odd, though, since the food was consumed at 3pm on Wednesday. Obviously, a sleepless night ensued.

Later that day, during the cardio workout at the gym, an SVT event transpired. The time was about 1:45pm. The heart palpitations continued sporadically through the cooldown and shower, during dinner at Subway®, and the bus ride back to Waikiki. A futile attempt was made to rehydrate with water throughout the ordeal, but to no avail.

Nevertheless, the late afternoon outing to the International Marketplace was not cancelled. A bottle of BodyArmor® Lyte sport drink was purchased at Target® after some deliberation. Upon consuming the elixir, the SVT event ground to a halt. Coincidence? Very strange.

Saturday morning, another SVT event occurred right after breakfast while in the Makai Market food court in Ala Moana Center. Breakfast included a banana and a Chobani® Greek yogurt from Target® to supplement the oatmeal and coffee from Starbucks®. This is usually the Sunday breakfast fare, by the way.

The palpitations commenced after only consuming one-third of the smallest-sized cup of coffee. Attempts to rehydrate with water failed. The ordeal continued during the bus ride to town. Then, a big-ass bottle of Power Ade® sport drink was purchased at the 7-Eleven® store close to the gym. Once again, the elixir mummified the palpitations.

On Sunday, the breakfast scenario was the repeat of Saturday. However, a bottle of BodyArmor® sport drink was also purchased at Target® as a safety precaution. And, a cup of water was requested along with coffee at Starbucks®. No SVT event transpired, thank Molech. A pint of Häagen-Dazs® coffee ice cream was procured at Target® later during the afternoon outing to celebrate. Baha! Ha! Ha! Haaa!

Slave Labor Day, another no-holiday holiday, signals the end of Summer. Sleep deprivation resulted from an extremely hot night, the hottest so far. The breakfast routine was the same as yesterday. The barista at Starbucks® provided a big-ass cup of water upon request. Did she know that the potent coffee requires extreme hydration countermeasures? Apparently.

Another SVT event occurred just as the cardio workout was commencing, so the latter was cancelled. The palpitations continued for over an hour, ceasing during the bus ride back to Waikiki. Even the emergency bottle of BodyArmour® sport drink had no effect. The decision was made to mummify coffee consumption, effective this week. Yet another restriction has been added to the geriatric life-style. Well, so much for Slave Labor Day.

Starbucks® coffee is apparently much stronger in caffeine than the coffee from the primary fast food joint. Nevertheless, the SVT events are triggered by dehydration and poor quality of sleep. Coffee only makes matters worse because it is a diuretic. So, the “bottom line” is whether to mummify coffee consumption, essentially the only remaining personal vice. Having to purchase sport drinks daily to combat the effects of caffeine is a ridiculous expense. And, cutting out coffee would save at least $80 in monthly expenditures.

Expenditures have increased significantly for at least two weeks now, primarily involving Target®. There is an offer for a free one-year Circle 360® membership by spending $200 within a certain timeframe. The membership offers free delivery of merchandise as one of the benefits. Yeah, a microwave oven would definitely be ordered.

The Notes Music Break posts featuring the Deep House Cat Show are all slated to be removed within a few days. Some of the earlier music video posts will also be deleted. Only the ones that coincided with the “super-duper corona” plan-demic will be retained.

The vast hurdy-gurdy video library (HGVL) on the LaCie® SSD is now officially archived with 273 choice selections. If there are any new worthy selections available, the latter may or may not be appended to the library. So, this will be the last mention of the HGVL in Notes.

Meanwhile, the “orange bad man” tariff regime has been good for …

… BRICS! The tariffs are only going to increase product and commodity prices in empire. The latest rumor is that coffee prices will increase significantly in empire. The tariffs have forced international producers to sell elsewhere. China is apparently on a coffee buying spree. Obviously, personal consumption of coffee would be forcibly mummified.

On a side note, a chance encounter with neighbor Ignacio occurred on Monday last week at the entrance to the “old folks home” in Waikiki. Unfortunately, there was no time chat. Ignacio briefly mentioned that he had been released from the hospital the week before. He underwent surgery, the type of which he did not specify. He was there for over a month. Ignacio is pretty resilient for an old guy.

On a somber note, there were two “keel over” events at the “old folks home” last week. One on Tuesday in the other building. And, the other on Wednesday in the building where the mausoleum is located. Yeah, they’re “dropping like flies” over here.

Addendum: A Contigo® Jackson stainless steel water bottle was purchased for $18 at Target® during a brief afternoon outing. Water is now the preferred beverage.

Reflections 2025

There were no reflections last year, probably because there was nothing to reflect upon. This year, same story. Although, there is a compelling need to vent the frustration concerning the nefarious Zionist pogrom instituted by “Bibi” Mileikowsky and his cohorts. A small minority of rank-and-file peons in the “West” have engaged in various protest actions, albeit futile. The moneychangers and powers-that-be are firmly entrenched in the Zionist camp.

The atrocities perpetrated by “Bibi” Mileikowsky and his ilk are depraved and animalistic. This is the kind of evil that the Great Prophet, Ernest Becker, warned about in his treatise, “Escape from Evil.” For all of the powerless peons, the only hope is future karma. The prospects are dim as evil is very well funded.

Sadly, the majority of rank-and-file peons could care less. They are wrapped up in their own superficial self-importance as witnessed daily here in “Paradise.” Stupid tourists. Stupid locals. They are simply mindless consumers, all locked into their self-made world accessible through their cheap “smartphones.” And now, they don’t even have to think for themselves. AI does it all for them. Pathetic.

Mangy Mutt Redux

“Fido”

The mystery concerning the mangy mutt of the “old folks home” in Waikiki has been solved (refer to the original Notes post titled, “Mangy Mutt”). The owner has been identified as an old, fat, ugly ho’ who resides on the sixth floor. The mangy mutt now only barks and squeals when taken outside to relieve itself. The obese owner has been taking the pooch out daily at 4am. So, the entire ‘hood is privy to listen to the barking and squealing in the wee hours of the morning.

On a side note, the Cloudflare DoH (DNS over HTTPS) unfiltered configuration profile has been added to the iPhone 16 Pro. The ability to add such a profile has been around since iOS 14 was introduced. The DoH is system-wide and can be disabled by switching to “automatic,” but it is only applicable to cellular data. The main reason to deploy DoH is to prevent ISP logging of client Net activities. Configuration profiles (Apple® products) for various DNS providers and filter options are available on the GitHub repository. The iPhone now has every possible security option enabled except for “lockdown mode.”

Miscellany: The free wireless network at the primary fast food joint in town has been reactivated. And, the receipts now have the survey coupon QR code restored.

Admissions Day 2025

Another no-holiday holiday has come to pass with more than the usual minor inconveniences. This is Fuck It Friday (FIF) - Special Statehood Edition. Sporadic news and commentary of no interest to anyone. Fuck it!

Another update became available for both the iPhone 16 Pro and Watch Series 9 on Thursday. A new workaround was established to enable blood-oxygen readings on Watch devices affected by the pending lawsuit. Of course, the Watch Series 9 in personal possession always had the feature because it was manufactured prior to the lawsuit. So, the updates did absolutely nothing except waste time. Fuck it!

The vast hurdy-gurdy video library (HGVL) residing on the LaCie® SSD has most likely reached its optimum state. There have been no new choice selections added in a while … well, because nothing is available. Of course, there’s a lot of Euro, “MILF,” “BBW,” and too much “BBC” content. All of the latter genres are, however, less susceptible to DMCA takedowns. Anyway, the HGVL is slated to be designated a permanent archive very soon with no further additions. Yet another productive geriatric activity mummified. Fuck it!

As the last update to the Deep House Cat Show was exactly three months ago, the assumption is that the podcast has been abandoned. All episodes are likely to disappear once the contract expires for the host server in Germany. About 52 episodes were downloaded and collated into four compressed files. The files have been archived onto the LaCie® SSD. The curated Notes Music Break posts will most likely be preemptively deleted with adequate prior notice given. Fuck it!

On second thought, the House Music archive may ended up vaporized as well. A 70-year-old codger doesn’t need to listen to House Music. Smooth Jazz is probably more fitting. Silence is even better. Well, with the HGVL and House Music approaching full mummification, there will be absolutely nothing to occupy time in the mausoleum in the “old folks home” in Waikiki. More time could be devoted to Notes … Baha! Ha! Ha! Haaa! Fuck it!

Finally, the entire day was rendered ridiculous when, in a moment of extreme dementia, the wrong bus was boarded to leave town. Over two hours was spent waiting in Kahala Mall for the only bus route that goes back to Waikiki. The bus supposedly arrives once per hour. The first scheduled bus didn’t show up. The next bus was 30 minutes late. To add insult to injury, the GPS site was inoperative all day. Only the scheduled times were displayed. What a fiasco! Fuck it!

Obviously, the daily outing to the International Marketplace was later than usual. Even then, the ambient temperature was sizzling. Only a pint of Häagen-Dazs® strawberry ice cream could make the day right. Lots of sugar and saturated fat. Fuck it!

Beat the Heat

The heatwave has been continuous since mid-July. The last two weeks were hottest along with high humidity. Another SVT events occurred on Monday, once again upon return to Waikiki from town in the afternoon. While walking up the stairs to the Waikiki Market, the heart rate soared up to 143bpm (as recorded by the Watch Series 9). The latest two SVT events can be attributed to the high ambient temperature and dehydration. Again, there was no change to the late afternoon outing to the International Marketplace. If a “keel over” incident transpires, then so be it.

Breakfast on Saturday was courtesy Starbucks® in Ala Moana Center. In actuality, it mirrored the usual Sunday routine. Breakfast this morning was courtesy Starbucks® in town. The change in venue is “part and parcel” to a transition away from the primary and secondary fast food joints in town.

The patrons of the primary fast food joint are mostly grubby and slobbish. Many of them are obese. They all love to use the speakerphone function on their cheap “smartphones,” usually with the volume set to “full blast.” The squeaky noise emitted by the cheap speakers hurts the ears. And, somehow, the cretins can’t seem to dine without leaving a greasy mess all over the tables.

Incidentally, the primary fast food joint in town is a franchise owned by a cheapskate Chinaman. He also owns another store located in Discovery Bay in Waikiki. His stores have the highest priced menus (as compared to the corporate stores). In addition, the cheap bastard shut down the free wireless network. He’s so cheap that he removed the survey coupon QR code from the receipts to save paper and printer ink. What a maroon!

The patrons at Starbucks® in town are in their own league as well. Most of them are “white collar” office workers who feign an extremely high level of self-importance. Starbucks® is the staging area for the “up and coming” clowns. Frankly, they look and act ridiculous. Many of them still set up their notebook computers to do “work.” Oh, please!

On a side note, a search was made to find “stuff” to donate to charity. The small storage suitcase was opened for the occasion. Surprisingly, there is nothing left to donate. Clothes, a blanket, and a handful of documents was all that was found. The clutter in the mausoleum in the “old folks home” is all consumables, as stated previously.

Miscellany: The LaCie® SSD, home of the vast hurdy-gurdy video library (HGVL), has now become the most valuable technology device after the iPhone 16 Pro.

Fuck It Friday - 32

Beats® Pill

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

The Beats® Pill was unceremoniously divested on Thursday in the late afternoon. No further details are necessary. The recipient seemed quite pleased with the gift. There will be no replacement for the Pill under the (restored) minimalist regime. Fuck it!

The mausoleum in the “old folks home” in Waikiki suffers from moderate clutter. All of the “stuff” is best described as “consumables” (i.e., non-durable). The “stuff” is laid out on the floor of the tomb since cupboards and closet remain empty. Everything is stored in the open. Unfortunately, “consumables” take a long time to consume. Fuck it!

On Wednesday, a major SVT episode commenced in the late afternoon upon returning to Waikiki from town on the bus. The duration was about an hour with the Watch Series 9 recording a peak of 163bpm. There was no interruption in the usual routine. The late afternoon outing to the International Marketplace was performed during the SVT event. A “keel over” event could have transpired as a result. Fuck it!

Nearly all of the episodes of the Deep House Show (featuring Hypnotic Progressions) have been downloaded and will be compressed into multiple files. The files may or may not be made available on Google® Drive, but it will eventually be archived onto the LaCie® SSD. Fuck it!

So, there really is nothing left insofar as entertainment and diversions are concerned. Well, the vast hurdy-gurdy video library (HGVL) is still intact on the LaCie® SSD. The collection now stands at 257 choice selections. The HGVL is the sole focus of the geriatric life. Wheee! Fuck it!

Postscript: The image of the Beats® Pill features the wrong Pill. That’s the original version from way back, not the current one. What a maroon! Fuck it!

9 Manik’ 5 Yaxk’in

There were two outings to the International Marketplace on Friday, one in the late afternoon and the other in the evening. Sitting in the mausoleum in the “old folks home” in Waikiki is equivalent to a deathwatch. Sitting in the shopping mall is actually not any better. So, on the final return to the “old folks home,” a can of Guinness® Stout was procured at the ABC Store. Was the evening made any better as a result? No.

A offer was made to gift the Beats® Pill to two separate gym acquaintances. One declined. The other didn’t follow through. Surprising, isn’t it? A free $149 wireless speaker in mint condition, and no takers. Probably would have had better luck in attempting to sell it. Sheesh!

Incidentally, the Beats® Pill actually has excellent sound reproduction. Initially, the Pill was evaluated as having a muffled high end in comparison to the AirPods Pro 2 earbuds. However, the discovery was made that “headphone accommodations” was enabled. Disabling the latter feature removed the programmed equalizer settings and resulted in sound parity with the Pill.

ProtonVPN has had a significant increase in new accounts ever since the UK “age verification” requirement (for “adult” Web sites) was invoked. Instead of simply streaming the hurdy-gurdy videos on demand, the fools should have been downloading them and saving all of the files to a high-capacity SSD. Expect this “age verification” privacy violation to become universal in all jurisdictions.

Minimalism has returned to the forefront of personal objectives, especially concerning technology gear and the Net. Paywalls and subscriptions have become commonplace for all kinds of content. Establishing accounts to access on-line content is an extreme privacy risk when personal information is disclosed. As previously mentioned in Notes, nearly all of the Net is garbage. The on-line content is marginal, formulaic, redundant, and essentially subliminal forms of advertising and marketing. Why pay for that crap?

Thus, divesting the iPad Pro M4 and the Beats® Pill is a good starting point by reducing exposure to the Apple® “ecosystem.” Remaining accessories may or may not be replaced. And, the iPhone 16 Pro, because of its small size, will be self-limiting. This is the way it was before.

Well, the late afternoon outing to the International Marketplace was brief, with Target® being the only destination. Alas, a pint of Häagen-Dazs® strawberry ice cream was purchased for no particular reason. In these shitty times, nothing beats ice cream to soothe the troubled soul.

Addendum: The Beats® Pill has been factory reset and boxed up. If there are no takers, it will be donated to the Goodwill kiosk in Kahala Mall.

Animals

Epstein

Notes joins the call for “Orange Bad Man” to immediately release all of the documentation (unredacted) concerning the Jeffrey Epstein case. The recent puzzling behavior and announcements from “Orange” seem to suggest that the latter is hiding something.

In addition, the rank-and-file peons need to know exactly about the kind of degenerates (read: pedophiles) who populate the billionaire donor class, the so-called “ruling élite” (as discussed previously in the Notes post titled, “Animal”).

There’s also a lot of speculation that Epstein was tied in with or answered to the Zionist intelligence cartel. Perhaps the revelations will finally bring down that sleazy war criminal “Bibi” Mileikowsky and his merry band of democidal maniacs.

Addendum: Even Colonel Doug Macgregor is disappointed with “Orange.” His latest discussion on Judging Freedom is excellent.

Tsunami

An earthquake, measured at magnitude 8.8 (Richter), was registered around 11:30am local time on Wednesday, approximately 136km southeast of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, according to the Geophysical Service of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Warning sirens in Hawai’i were blaring by mid-afternoon.

The bus ride back to Waikiki commencing at 3:30 pm was a 1.5 hour trip. During that time, a conversation with a young Asian hottie was initiated by the latter. She asked about the evacuation procedures, if any, and past experiences with tsunami events. She was advised to contact the hotel staff for their protocol. After a phone conversation with one of the staff, she said that hotel guests will be allowed to remain in the hotel. No hotel evacuation notice had been dispatched as of 4pm.

The streets of Waikiki were completely congested. All of the stores and restaurants closed early. So, employees, along with evacuees, were leaving en masse. Tourists were dashing about looking for places to eat or purchase food. A couple of places were actually still open, and lines of tourists were extremely long.

Evacuation 6:20pm - Ala Wai Boulevard

There was no motivation to evacuate the “old folks home,” even though the property sits in the so-called “extreme evacuation zone.” Apparently, that was also the consensus amongst most of the other senior citizen tenants and the residents of the adjacent high-rise condominiums.

At 7:20pm, lots of yelling, cheering, and screaming erupted from all of the hotels in Waikiki as the impatient tourists awaited the tsunami. Fortunately, that bullshit lasted all of 15 minutes, no doubt because the tsunami did not arrive.

The Tsunami ETA was estimated to be 7:17 HST. At 9pm, Waikiki remained a ghost town. Stores and restaurants were all closed. Tourists were all sequestered in their hotels. The Ala Wai Canal was not flooding the area, although the buffoonish governor was claiming that the “big one” was still coming. The official “all clear” won’t be announced until the wee hours of tomorrow morning. Notes is calling the tsunami a “no show.” Ho hum.