1Manik’ 5 Sotz’

A new milestone, 70.5 years of age, was achieved last week. That’s 70.5 years of existing on this planet. Of course, not much else can be mentioned. Vegetating as a senior citizen is hardly a noteworthy accomplishment. Sheesh!

“Water on the (left) knee” (knee effusion) appears to be a permanent issue. Leg exercises at the gym have been discontinued in the interim in order to facilitate the cardio workout. Weight workouts have become a little taxing, which suggests that reductions may soon become necessary.

The fragile mental state is … well, still fragile. Death is always on the mind. Residing in the “old folks home” in Waikiki only exacerbates the problem. The experience is reminiscent of a mortuary. Remaining active and away from the place as much as possible are the only coping solutions.

Dividends from the investment accounts and the small retirement stipend are still covering all monthly expenses with a minor surplus (i.e., living for “free”). Yet, “Orange Bad Man” and his tariffs spree inadvertently triggered the return of the miserly ways. Spending has been curtailed … for now.

The Apple® WWDC event is scheduled for next week. The big announcement will allegedly be the complete revamping of all Apple operating systems. The only personal concern is iPadOS. Will it finally inherit features similar to MacOS? The cumbersome file system and the Safari browser are of primary interest. The fate of the iPad Pro M4 hinges on those features. If the only change is cosmetic, the device will most likely be divested.

Previously, the most important feature of the iPad was cited to be its larger screen. Working with the sole spreadsheet and a few other important documents on the large screen made a big difference. However, upon reinstalling the associated “apps” on the iPhone 16 Pro, the discovery was made that no workarounds were actually necessary. The spreadsheet, for example, could easily be navigated by freezing the first column (with row labels). As a former computer nerd, the belated recollection of the latter feature is an embarrassment. Oh well.

The recent Ukrainian drone attack on numerous Russian airbases is obviously headline news.  Several long range TU-95 strategic bombers and other aircraft were destroyed. The aircraft were required to remain out in the open in accordance with START (read: treaty). As pointed out on many of the approved Web sites, the operation could not have been accomplished without ISR data provided by the “West.” The collective Fascist governments of the “West” are pushing for a thermonuclear conflagration. In addition, two bridges in Russia were sabotaged a few days earlier. And, another attempt was made to destroy the Kerch Bridge just today. And, of course, there’s “Bad Orange Man.” What is his role in the debacle? And, when is this circus going to end?

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