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.