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Personal Adventures

What's on your mind?
General interest discussions, not necessarily related to depletion.

Unread postby mgibbons19 » Fri 11 Mar 2005, 21:03:40

Trails are cool. Visited the Superior Hiking trail up north - but didn't hike it much. Beautiful.

[threadjack]
Hey OldSprocket, I am planning on doing BRAN this year. I am pretty excited, but am hoping on picking up a real roadbike soon. Might be a long ride on a heavy bastard fixie.
[/threadjack]
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Re: Kansas to Utah: A 1027 Mile Hike

Unread postby Backpacker » Sat 12 Mar 2005, 00:10:28

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('mercury_firefly', 'L')ately i have very seriously considering traveling on foot to my home in Wellington, Kansas, to my mothers house in Salt Lake City, Utah. I feel that nothing would give you a greater sense of accomplishment that undertaking and completely such a trip. Also, it would prepare me to live a completely different lifestyle that what i'm used to. Going on a trip like this would give me a sense of what it's like to live a hard life. It would be the opposite life of what i've been living for the entire 18 years of my life. I kind of feel this will prepare my for a hard life i will be facing once oil is no longer a viable fuel option.

I really want to do this. I'm curious to know what the legal ramifications of this would be. I'm 18, i will be graduating high school in a few months.

Also, what i would need for a trip. My list thus far is: Large hiking backpack, Sleeping bag, small pillow, small medkit, sewing kit, two quality knives, walking stick, 4 shirts, 2 pairs of shorts, 2 pairs of pants, rain poncho, quality waterproof hiking shoes, hat, sun screan and other personal hygeine items, compass, small portable pop tent(if i can find one that is, if not i'll take a tarp and make a tent out of that), wilderness survival book (i already have one and have it well memorized), atleast 300$ in cash.

I've done the math on this. I've figured i can walk five miles an hour for nine hours a day, that's fourty-five miles a day. At that rate it will take me around twenty-five days to reach Salt Lake City. I would also be burning about three-thousand calories a day.

My biggest problem thus far is food. I would defently fill the empty space in my pack with all the food i could. The money i would be taking would ONLY be used to replenish my food supplies.

Also, i have a friend who i have been talking to this about. She was the one who put the origional idea into my head. She say she would go with me (i'm a male, by the way). She knows some people in colorado we could stay with for a few days. That's about the half way mark, so a rest would be well deserved.

The most important item to keep in your backpack is a water purification pump. They can be purchased at outfitters for around $80. Get a replacement filter and purification pills. You can survive for a few weeks without food but only a few days without water. This is especially critical since you will be hiking in the hot, dry southwest. You need to plot your trip so that you are in reasonable vicinity to water sources. Mark off on your map each water source you find so that you can go back to it in the event that your next days journey does not bring you to a water source. 3 days water should be kept on your person. Invest in a backpack that has a hydration bladdder in it or a pouch to hold a hydration bladder for ease of carrying.
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Unread postby mercury_firefly » Mon 14 Mar 2005, 12:30:13

Since i first created this thread a few things have changed. I've decided to go with a friend on my trip. Secondly, i'm going to hike to Baily, Colorado. That total distance from there to where i'm at now is 741 miles. I've given myself a more realistic daily goal of hiking 20 miles. It should take about a month to get to where i'm going at that pace.

I'm still having problems with finding hiking boots and finding food that would be good for such a trip. Any more advice would be greatly appreciated.
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Unread postby Michael_Layden » Mon 14 Mar 2005, 15:38:00

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('mercury_firefly', 'S')ince i first created this thread a few things have changed. I've decided to go with a friend on my trip. Secondly, i'm going to hike to Baily, Colorado. That total distance from there to where i'm at now is 741 miles. I've given myself a more realistic daily goal of hiking 20 miles. It should take about a month to get to where i'm going at that pace.

I'm still having problems with finding hiking boots and finding food that would be good for such a trip. Any more advice would be greatly appreciated.


Even if 20 miles per day is possible, I would set a target of about 17 a day. Learn your physical limits and only increase to 20 miles per day if you are finding yourself reasonable comfortable the next day . Keep yourself in good order and as you get comfortable be more ambitious. You will have the damage done before you know it. So start slow and find what your bodies natural pace is. You should find that every evening you have some energy left.

The best pair of walking boots I ever had were a pair of cheap $30 steel toed boots I got in a large store and the worst were a pair of $200 hiking boots I got in a Outdoor shop.
Only buy boots in the Afternoon after your feet have swollen to their normal size. Morning and evening can be substantially different.!! Find out do you need arch support etc. Join a hiking Site and ask them what the best pair of boots is .

You can start hardening your feet early, many people start using various oils, creams etc. (don't know if this is a good idea, you could talk to a Physical fitness person !!) Insoles are also extremely good, some of the antishock insoles are very good on hard surfaces.

Socks are important. I found however that wool and Goretex can get very hot but regular stops and taking off the boots kept that under control. I like Coolmax based cotton socks in hot conditions.

The backpack and weight is second only to the boots and make sure you try to walk with in boots with the backpack on before you decide on what type of boots. You walk very differnetly with a backpack than without. Particularly with a heavy pack you will need better heel support and cushioning.

Glad to hear you heading a more scenic and shorter route. Good luck and you will find it a great experience. But be ruthless with weight !!!. After the first few days go to a post office and send stuff home. It's amazing how focused you will be on what you really need when youve carried it on you back for a few days. You can also figure out what post offices are on your route and post things there to collect on your way. You can even use the same boxes to send stuff home. !!
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Unread postby spear » Mon 14 Mar 2005, 16:26:51

Food for the trip is OATMEAL.
A can of quaker should last a week.The bars get mushy.
High protein,high carb and you will need a LOT of carbs.
Eat at night so the body digests fully and can use it the next day.
You may not like it but its the only thing practical.And has all you need in it.
Dried fruit for snacks.Chop them up and throw them in the oatmeal for flavor.
Multi vitamins.Or at least vitamin C
Cross train hikers for footwear.
Small nylon 2 man tent in CAMO.fits anywhere and is almost INVISIBLE at night.
And the leatherman or swiss army knife. whatever.

Dont forget,Iraqi refugees did it with a lot less to get to Turkey from their country.
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Unread postby bart » Mon 14 Mar 2005, 16:46:32

The world of long-distance hiking has been shaken up in the last 10-15 years by the minimalists -- who seek to keep the weight of pack and boots minimal in the interests of a faster more enjoyable pace. (I gave the names of some of these people in a previous post.)

Shoes/boots are especially critical because they are lifted up and down with every step, so an extra pound on the feet equals several pounds on the back.

The thinking among these people is NOT to wear heavy boots, but to go with light athletic shoes.

As you might guess, it is a controversial topic. But if you are going on a long-dx hike, you should consider the possibility of light footwear. I've used boots, running shoes and athletic sandals.

Best of luck.
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Hawaii

Unread postby ReverseEngineer » Thu 08 Jan 2009, 09:33:42

OK gang, I am off to Hawaii. The trip is work related, but I tell you when I booked it a few months ago I didn't even think Alaska Airlines would be flying. Shows how good I am with timelines here on the collapse. LOL.

Anyhow, I'll try to report in a few times when I am not basking in the sun on probably my last Great Adventure outside the Last Great Frontier. Of course, you can all get on my case for being a big hypocrite here and being a profligate consumer of Jet Fuel and living like a Pigman while children in India are starving, but this is the society I grew up in and I do in fact have money enough to do this sort of thing periodically. Actually, since its work related, it doesn't cost me anything.

I'm going to study a few things during the Hawaii trip. One would be an estimation of survivability for the current population there. Also I'm going to try to get a look at Kilauea, which is erupting at the moment along with a good portion of the other volcanoes on Earth.

The biggest leap for me is leaving my preps behind. Paranoid Doomer that I am, it worries me that JUST when I head for Hawaii, Martial Law gets declared and I am STUCK in Honolulu with NO PREPS! I am going to pack a few freeze dried foods just in case :-)

Hawaii is the only state I really haven't seen much of, though I flew a few times through there on the way to Australia in my younger days. I saw all the US states while driving the Big Rig, in fact I drove every mile of all the Interstate highways during those years. Also covered most of Canada. My main visuaizations of Hawaii come from the film about its discovery and the subsequent Christian Mision to save the islanders from their Heathen Ways based o the James Michener novel. In my romantic mind of course,I was appalled by the disruption of that society by the Christians of the day. Wouldn't it have been nice if the Hawaiians had just been left ALONE there? They were doing just fine I think before we got there. Fishing the waters in dugout canoes, it seems in my mind just perfect.

Hawaii of course took a major role in WWII, that of course is where the Japanese attacked us at Pearl Harbor, and I'll go visit that site as well. The big War for Oil that we won, basically turning the rest of the world into a slave state in the aftermath, and providing a couple of generations of Ameicans a very comfortable living, until of course the Oil started running thin in our on country and we had to go in debt to keep the lifestyle and expectations up.

Even on Vacation, I can't get away from the Doom. Since I am profligatley wasting resorces making this trip, I'll try to at least make it useful from an educational standpoint. Its a good excuse anyhow for getting a good suntan and escaping 20 below temps for a week. :-)

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Reason: Moved to Personal Adventures Thread.
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Re: Hawaii

Unread postby Arsenal » Thu 08 Jan 2009, 09:56:37

Have fun!!

Maybe you should forward me your address so I can "protect" your preps just in case TSHTF. :P :P Just kidding.

Make sure to lock everything in the trunk of your rental if you happen to leave the car to go to the beach. We had everything stolen for us on the second day when someone put a filed down bolt in the lock and used a breaker bar to pop the lock. We were boogie boarding not more than a 100ft away. :(
If the American people ever allow the banks to control issuance of their currency, first by inflation and then by deflation, the banks and corporations that grow up around them will deprive the people of all property until their children will wake up homeless on the continent their fathers occupied. T Jefferson
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Re: Hawaii

Unread postby frankthetank » Thu 08 Jan 2009, 10:01:30

Reverse-

HUGE warmup coming to Alaska... bad timing :) Direct flight or are you connecting in Seattle? My sister was in Maui last winter. They liked it, but the flight was annoying because it is a long haul from here (10 hrs or so). Cancun/Cozumel is only 4hr... Travel while you still can.
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Re: Hawaii

Unread postby Plantagenet » Thu 08 Jan 2009, 15:07:10

Have a great trip, Reverse.

I was just in Hawaii over the holidays.....Anchorage to Maui and some whale-watching and snorkelling at Molokini then the superferry to Oahu for surfing at Waikiki then small plane to Molokai to do some sea kayaking and the hike to Kaluapapa, then the small foot ferry back to Lahaina on Maui. The temps in central Alaska went to -60 while I was on Molokai.

My recommendations for the big Island would be to first offer a small sacrificial bottle of gin to Pele at Kiluaea, then go to the coast and watch the active lava flows, and then don't miss the snorkelling at the Captain Cook monument and at Hapuna. ---ENJOY!

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Re: Hawaii

Unread postby WildRose » Thu 08 Jan 2009, 20:18:02

Have a good trip! I've always wanted to see Hawaii. The hubby and I plan to take the kids there for a holiday before it isn't possible anymore. I was just reading a nice pictorial article about it yesterday in the orthodontist's office (reading and drooling).
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Re: Hawaii

Unread postby Pretorian » Thu 08 Jan 2009, 20:28:02

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('ReverseEngineer', 'i')t worries me that JUST when I head for Hawaii, Martial Law gets declared and I am STUCK in Honolulu with NO PREPS! I am going to pack a few freeze dried foods just in case :-)



Just make sure you have your gun and rifle at check in, and you'll be fine.
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Re: Hawaii

Unread postby Narz » Thu 08 Jan 2009, 21:01:36

Have fun.

Spending the winter in New England for the first time in three years (last two in California) really makes me miss the year round farmers markets.

Alot of people are worried about long term global warming but having a year round growing season & not having to spend tons of energy heating goes a long way. Besides climate change is also causing more ice storms & the tropics will be effected least AFAIK.
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Re: Hawaii

Unread postby Narz » Thu 08 Jan 2009, 21:03:18

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('ReverseEngineer', ' ')Paranoid Doomer that I am, it worries me that JUST when I head for Hawaii, Martial Law gets declared and I am STUCK in Honolulu with NO PREPS! I am going to pack a few freeze dried foods just in case :-)

Or you could just eat coconuts. ;)
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Re: Hawaii

Unread postby Sixstrings » Thu 08 Jan 2009, 21:22:55

Business trip to Hawaii? I just knew Reverse was workin for AIG.

;)
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Re: Hawaii

Unread postby ReverseEngineer » Fri 09 Jan 2009, 19:43:32

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Sixstrings', 'B')usiness trip to Hawaii? I just knew Reverse was workin for AIG.


I am getting a Manicure on the Taxpayer Dime as we speak :-)

Anyhow, no net access from my friend's house, at least not yet. Having issues with his Wi-Fi. Here is the second Hawaii Essay, written yesterday on the plane.

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Reverse Engineer', '
')Uber Doomer takes a Vacation

I'm on the last hour or so of the Alaska Airlines direct flight from Anchorage to Honolulu. For a confirmed Uber Doomer like myself, I am confronted with all the excess and all the conundrums and all the conflicts and all the hypocrisy and all the denial just getting on the airplane.

First off, after getting offline last night discussing the imminent demise of the monetary system with my fellow doomers here, you get to the airport and its all just bizness as usual. All the stores in the airport were open, check-in was quick and easy at the computer terminal which spit out my boarding pass and there was no extra charge for the one bag I checked. That is down from 2 bags allowed free last time I flew though. Some of the bags didn't get on the plane because they had to load it up with extra fuel, apparently major headwinds. This is going to be a problem for some in my organization. I think my bag got on, Suzie said she saw it go aboard.

Anyhow, from all appearances there isn't anything at all you could identify so far that would tell you TEOTWAWKI is almost upon us. The plane is comfortable, had a nice Hot Meal of sweet and sour chicken over rice I paid an extra $5 for and then I reclined the seat to read first the Alaska Airline Magazine celebrating 50 years of Statehood, and then this weeks copy of the Economist, which I read cover to cover.

Reading the Economist is almost as chilling as walking through the airport and watching the Bizness as Usual. Although of course there are many more stories of import regarding the various Political stuff we talk about, the conflicts around the World and the Bank Failures, you still get the impression reading this stuff that the Economists who are contributing their articles STILL think the economy will start to rebound sometime in 2010. Various and sundry expalnations are given for why Iceland or Hungary are in worse shape than say Spain, because Spain is on the Euro and they are not.

I just do not understand how so many folks professionally trained and educated in Economics can't see the train coming down the tracks. I read several more articles explaining that the market has "bottomed". These guys see the Light at the End of the Tunnel, but they STILL don't know its the Light of an Oncoming Train. Its just astounding to me. I would question my own sanity if it wasn't for ShortonOil, who pretty much drew up the same set of conclusions from the same data set as I did. I guess Short is Newton here and I am Leibniz? :-)

The most entertaining quote did come from one article making the distinctions between Recessions and Depressions, where apparently Jimmy Carter in 1978 warned Otto Kahn who was one of his economic advisers to stop using the word "Depression" in his speeches because it was scaring the hoi polloi, so promptly in his next briefing with reporters Otto substituted for Depression: "Our economy is in danger of seeing the worst BANANAS in years." LOL. Well, of course we had Alan Greenspan running the Fed, not Otto Kahn and the Bubbles have kept us floating here a while longer. I think we are now going Short on Bubbles and Long on Bananas. :-)

The most depressing reading was a 16 page special report on the state of the world's oceans and the fishing industry. What a freaking mess! Anyhow, you can see that food source is well on its way toward collapse, although I think it will rebound quite a bit once the Factory ships are dry docked.

OK, looks like we are on the descent and I'll wrap up this installment of a Doomer on Vacation. I'll send it off as soon as I can get an internet connection, hopefully tonight sometime. Day 1 down, 9 to go before I get safely back to my Preps. Keeping my fingers crossed.

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Re: Hawaii

Unread postby Sixstrings » Sat 10 Jan 2009, 01:17:33

ReverseEngineer wrote:
$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'T')he most depressing reading was a 16 page special report on the state of the world's oceans and the fishing industry. What a freaking mess!


Yeah, there's no debating that one. Over the years, seafood choices continue to migrate to further-afield and previously exotic fishes as our own fish stocks near collapse. Where we used to eat cod, we now eat Vietnamese talapia and Chilean sea bass (real name: Patagonian toothfish).

I love how they have to rename fish by the way, like dolphin fish is mahi mahi so tourists don't think they're eating a cute porpoise. As for the sea bass, I actually love it.. wonderful texture to it. But the point remains, I wouldn't be eating it if our own more local fish weren't so depleted, and one day the patagonian toothfish will be gone and we'll move on from there.

I sympathize, Reverse, with your feeling of disconnect. I'm often reminded of a science fiction novel, Asimov's _Prelude to Foundation_. The story takes place on the Imperial city-world of Trantor, before the collapse of Empire. The signs of collapse are everywhere as one reads the novel, though the characters don't see the collapse since it happens in slow motion -- over hundreds of years.

I'm not necessarily saying it will take hundreds of years for our own collapse, I just believe it's a gradual sort of thing. That's why folks don't notice, it's like sittin in a kettle that's gradually warming up to a boil -- you adjust and adjust, until you're cooked.

It's funny though, the different fears which nag us. On your Hawaiian trip, it's global Doom that's nagging you. Funny thing is, if I were to board a plane I would be petrified at just flying. I detest my flying phobia, only because I have flown so much in my life -- it's hard to accept how dificult it is for me now.

The last time I stepped foot on a plane was en route to my father's funeral. The plane was good enough, one of those Brazilian made jets. Not a 727, but not quite a puddle jumper either. But small enough to be a real roller coaster while we zig zagged around an ungodly number of thunderstorms.

It was an excessively turbulent flight, enough so that all the children were crying their eyes out. I didn't cry, of course.. just popped a valium and said "well ain't this freakin swell." I don't much like roller coasters, but at least there's a track. I really don't like a roller coaster in the sky. ;)

I'm rambling here. My larger point is that Roosevelt was right when he said "the only thing we have to fear is fear itself." The cold hard fact is that modern life has inumerable tragedies one could fear. This assumes no global type Doom.. there's just a lot of everyday really bad stuff that can go down in a man's life.

By not flying, I have given up a part of myself to fear. I don't like that, and one day I'll need to get over it. I think the same goes for concerns about Global Doom -- we must all remember to try and put it on the back burner now and then, and enjoy life for all it has to offer in each particular moment.

So Reverse, I don't mean to imply you're carrying fear with you on your trip. But it is Hawaii, the weather has to be better than Alaska.. please enjoy yourself. Find a beach, find a good drink, find a loose woman. And report back. :)
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Re: Hawaii

Unread postby DryGuy » Sat 10 Jan 2009, 05:17:16

Hawaii has been my home for 12 years.
Warm and plenty of Free food (I kayak fish) I always laugh watching the mainland fishin shows. Some yo-yo holdin a 3 pound trout like he caught Jaws. Anyway... stay where yer at it sucks here.
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Re: Hawaii

Unread postby Byron100 » Sat 10 Jan 2009, 10:30:57

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'I')t was an excessively turbulent flight, enough so that all the children were crying their eyes out. I didn't cry, of course.. just popped a valium and said "well ain't this freakin swell." I don't much like roller coasters, but at least there's a track. I really don't like a roller coaster in the sky. Wink


Not me, man - it's stuff like this that makes life fun. :-D I love roller coasters, I love airplanes, and I'm totally addicted to the idea of free fall...hehe. Seriously, one of the first things I'd do upon winning the lottery is to buy me a ticket on the Vomit Comet...talk about your roller coaster in the sky. :lol:

I love speed, I love boats on huge seas, high gee forces (Superman The Escape at Six Flags Magic Mountain rocks in this regard) - and I love extreme weather. Bring it on, I thrive on this stuff.

But know what I fear in life? Having to work to work for someone that I despise, and who yells at me for every little thing. I'd honestly rather be dead than to be subjected to that again. Now, that's some hard-core fear for you. :cry:

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'W')arm and plenty of Free food (I kayak fish) I always laugh watching the mainland fishin shows. Some yo-yo holdin a 3 pound trout like he caught Jaws. Anyway... stay where yer at it sucks here.


Why does Hawaii suck? Sounds like paradise on Earth to me. Of course, I'm sure it could be made a whole lot better if they would double the min wage for all those "hospitality" workers, as well as taxing the f*ck out of all those 1000's of richies that live there in their mansions to make the cost of living more affordable for the rest of the Hawaiian folk. A truly socialist Hawaii really would be paradise on Earth. :)
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Re: Hawaii

Unread postby ReverseEngineer » Sat 10 Jan 2009, 17:42:11

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Byron100', '
')Why does Hawaii suck? Sounds like paradise on Earth to me. Of course, I'm sure it could be made a whole lot better if they would double the min wage for all those "hospitality" workers, as well as taxing the f*ck out of all those 1000's of richies that live there in their mansions to make the cost of living more affordable for the rest of the Hawaiian folk. A truly socialist Hawaii really would be paradise on Earth. :)


I always had that perspective myself, and perhaps once you get yourself away from the south side of Oahu it might still be. However, yesterday's observations from a Mall overlooking Pearl Harbor might give you some pause.

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Reverse Engineer', '[')b]Uber Doomer takes a Vacation: Part 3

As it turns out, my bag was one of the ones left behind, though supposedly it will arrive sometime this afternoon. Hopefully it gets delivered to my friend's house sometime tonight.

Now for some of my first impressions of Hawaii.

While this place might once have been an Island Paradise, for Oahu at least that time is long since gone, paved over in the era of Big Oil. For anyone considering this as a Bug Out location, fuhgettaboudit. There are more people stuffed on this island than live in all of Alaska, the traffic is horrendous and the houses and condos are packed together like Sardines. I feel an incredible sense of claustrophobia everywhere, its impossibly built up. Waikiki Beach is wall to wall people, just like Rockaway Beach or Coney Island in NY were 30 years ago on a hot summer's day.

Although Hawaii made its money in the time since WWII as a tourist trap, its real purpose remains just what it was then, a harbor and staging post for projection of military force toward the Asian continent. For the last 3 months, the bases here have been on full alert and are running exercises simulating a full scale war in the Pacific. About the only thing that can save Hawaii would be some kind of Wartime Economy, although it is still a mystery to me how that will be financed.

The signs are here that Hawaii is about to get flushed down the toilet with the mainland, moreso than Alaska so far. The newspaper is literally full of foreclosures, more than 5 pages of them. On the morning news radio, they reported there were so many Unemployment Claims in the last month that the Unemployment Office had to Hire more people to process the claims. Interesting situation when the only job opening are processing jobless claims. How long before Hawaii runs out of Unemployment Money for the Tourist workers?

My big excursion for the day after a briefing in the morning for my AIG, CIA and NSA Handlers was Brunch and shopping at the Mall with some of the Illuminati. ;-) at a Mall overlooking Pearl Harbor. Talk about feeling like you are walking among Zombies.

Most of the shops are still open in this Mall and there is still good foot traffic through it but you can already see from the number of BIG DISCOUNT signs on chains like American Outfitters that are already in bankruptcy that these shops will begin closing soon. Macy's is one of the Lynchpin stores, and they already closed one branch on Maui. When these stores start closing, the Mall will become even more dangerous than it currently is, and I had a real sense of danger as the Mall Rats started to fill the Atrium after school let out. I have already been warned a half dozen times not to leave anything in your car, it will be broken into. Property theft is systemic here. Like most tourist traps, behind the veneer is rampant poverty, just the well fed American version at the moment. As I took my laptop out to type this post, all of a sudden about four 13-16 year old Pincushions with Tattoos sat all around me on the couches and chairs nicely placed for weary shoppers. Maybe it was just coincidence, but my Radar from my years growing up in Hell's Kitchen was SCREAMING at me "Danger Will Robinson!" I didn't make eye contact, just continued typing for a few more minutes, called some of my friends shopping in the mall and spoke loudly enough to let everyone around me hear I was NOT ALONE. "I'll meet you upstairs in a few minutes", followed by calmly packing my laptop up and walking away, staying away from eye contact. Left the Mall without any incident, but it definitely gave me the willies. I simply cannot imagine what this place will be like if/when the food deliveries and fuel deliveries stop or even how its going to be when there is still fuel and food but Unemployment runs out for the parents of these Mall Rats.

Perhaps its a little better on the other islands, and once the power is off in Honolulu people will start to distribute out over the islands, and maybe they can pull in enough fish to keep the die off within reason. However, Honolulu is so dense that once they don't have pumping going for their sewage systems it will be an instant cesspool. I took a few wrong turns today and drove thru some of the older sections and it feels like Calcutta. Its still hasn't devolved to violence or disease, but it has the smell of Death all around it. I hear the Hoofbeats of the Horsemen in Hawaii.

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