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I'm looking at Abengoa SA, for example. They got almost $3 billion in guaranteed loans through this program to build infrastructure worth a fraction of that. I don't see that ending pretty, especially with their likely exposure (being the largest Spanish sustainable energy business) to the Spanish solar power industry, which completely lost its government subsidies over the past few years.

While I didn't discuss it at the time, I also was taking into account the company's behavior of what I'll call "chain-smoking loans", borrowing money to buy businesses that became collateral for another loan (for those old enough to remember that behavior burned World.com badly).

Well, turns out their US branch declared bankruptcy (Chapter 15) in January 2016 (though I gather it's now out of bankruptcy - at least for now). The Abengoa projects do appear to have survived with a functional revenue stream, so that implied part of the prediction apparently hasn't yet become a problem.

Nice to see a prediction bear fruit though of course, I probably wouldn't have noticed, if it hadn't. As an aside, neither Standard & Poor or the auditing firm Deloitte noticed anything supposedly until right before the insolvency protection filing (a common prelude to bankruptcy, though apparently Abengoa's main corporation in Spain was able to avoid bankruptcy through a 400 million Euro contribution from the Spanish government). The bank, Citigroup organized a stock sale a few months earlier despite their access to the books too.

A bunch of the usual suspects failing like they've failed before. Good to know that we're patching up all these financial failure modes.

Not yet, anyway.

Whenever I go more than about twelve hours without hearing from her I become convinced someone slipped her Fentanyl.

I've been wanting to ask her to text me at least once a day, if only to let me know she's still alive, but figured it would be better to ask her in person.

I haven't seen her in ten days.

But she sent me a text this afternoon, said "I Miss You" and told me where she was; that particular street is chock full o' hookers.

I'm going to bring her some tasty and nutritious - even if sugary - food. For example, dark chocolate is quite rich in iron, as well as tryptophan and so likely would ease her anxiety. I've got a buttload of raisins for her. While their sugar will appeal to her, more important is that raisins are rich in iron as well.

I have _never_ regarded my Bipolar-Type Schizoaffective Disorder as a disability for the specific reason that I chose coding for my career despite my degree being in Physics, as I was quite pleasantly surprised to find that I still write great code even when floridly paranoid or even suicidal.

Thus I persistently refused to apply for Kuro5hin's repeated calls for me to apply for SSDI - Social Security Disability Insurance - throughout my five years of homelessness, thereby redoubling their convictions that I really _was_ disabled.

That I missed two shrink's and a witch doctor's appointment so far this month led me to conclude that I will now - but _not_ due to any mental illness.

One's benefit is determined by one's last ten years' income before the onset of one's disability. For me, that's May of 2010 when I had my first seizure, dissociative fugue and short-term memory loss - WHILE I WAS DRIVING A CAR!!!!

Before 2010 I was making SCADS of money.

I am absolutely serious: as if God Almight Himself said "LET THERE BE MIKE!" the entire UNIVERSE sprung into existence with me not having a clue as to whose car I was driving, where I was going nor where I had come from. That I passed Mt. Shasta an hour later led me to recover my memory of having set out from my Mom's place in Vancouver, Washington late the previous afternoon and that I was headed home to South San Jose.

That enabled me to realized I had no memory of the previous sixteen hours. Eventually I recalled being pulled over for a busted taillight in Central Oregon, then very early that morning posting a K5 Diary - what you sorry lot call a "Journal" - at the Shari's Restaurant And Pies in Medford, in Southern Oregon.

I still have no memory of entering that restaurant, being seated, looking at the menu let alone ordering or eating my food. I hope to God I didn't Dine And Ditch but really I have no memory of paying either.

Once I got to south San Jose, Hilarity Ensued. I'll cover that later.

The Washington State Health Authority quite reasonably request I submit proof of income eligibility for my Medicaid in late October. About an hour ago I concluded that I am neurologically incapable of going my own books and so will request the Health Authority retain a bookkeeper to do my books for me - I hope she knows GnuCash!

I initiated an SSDI application in late November because my Broca's - or Expressive - Aphasia was persistent for the very first time; before that it always cleared up in four to eight hours.

But I withdrew my application when that Aphasia abated two weeks later.

My case manager Michelle Quesada is coming to haul me off to a food pantry in West Vancouver in a little bit. (I live in Central.) During our sojourn, I'll ask that she help my prepare my application.

That first step was to request an Application Interview, which I cancelled. Even so, the SSA sent me an application form. I'll ask Michelle to fill it out by asking me questions.

I am no longer able to fill that application out on my own.

And I Reiterate:

Kill Me.

Microsoft to hold HoloLens 2 press event next month

Microsoft is holding a press event at Mobile World Congress next month, and it looks like we’ll get some details on HoloLens 2. The software giant will hold its event on Sunday February 24th at 5PM CET (11AM ET), and CEO Satya Nadella, Technical Fellow Alex Kipman, and CVP Julia White will all be in attendance. Kipman’s name indicates this will likely be a HoloLens 2 event, given his close involvement with this project.

[...] Microsoft has been working on its next-generation HoloLens headset for years. Codenamed Sydney, the headset is expected to include an improved field of view, and be a lot lighter and more comfortable to wear. HoloLens 2 will also include Microsoft’s latest generation of the Kinect sensor and a custom AI chip to improve performance. Microsoft is also rumored to be using Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 850 processor inside the HoloLens 2, making it an ARM-powered device.

She set her phone to block all texts. That was unexpected.

I hope that's because of someone else, not because of me. But really I don't know.

Even so, she's a drop dead knockout working in a highly-visible oldest profession. I expect they get stalkers all the time.

Sometimes, they turn up dead: it's wasn't just Jack The Ripper preyed on them.

Kill Me.

In other news, really, really early this morning I finally got it together to shop at the better grocery store. While some of WinCo Foods' prices are cheaper than Grocery Outlet's not all are, however WinCo has a Jesus Big selection.

The God Emperor announced that February's Food Stamps will be coming out on January 20th, so I'm going to stockpile some non-perishables. Also I'm going to make a Metric Buttload of Guacamole then freeze it, this because Avocado is rich in Vitamin B6.

Just now I read that Opioid abuse can lead to Vitamin B12 deficiency as it degrades the lining of the stomach, which is responsible for the secretion of Intrinsic Factor that's part of the process that enables the small intestine to absorb B12.

So I have yet _another_ reason to obsess about B12. My brother-in-law bought me some 1000 ug Methylcobalamine tables - the US RDA for _normal_ people is just 2.4, but a helpful Soylentil who if I remember correctly actually _has_ B12 Deficiency - or maybe it was Pernicious Anemia - pointed out that _some_ such patients can get by with tablets and so don't need injections.

My Neurologist now thinks it's unlikely I really do have B12 Deficiency; she based that on my first test for low B12, a Methylmalonic Acid Blood Level was normal. While I'm somewhat skeptical and so request at least one of the other half-dozen or so tests, another physician pointed out to me that if I really was low in B12, the symptoms would not come and go as they do for me, rather they would persist until I was getting the injections.

It's quite likely that _most_ of my symptoms can be explained as being due to Temporal Lobe Epilepsy, but in my understanding _not_ the numbness in the soles of my feet, the palms of my hands and in both my lips.

I eagerly await the result of the Electroencephalograph Test I had just after Christmas. While I fully intended to be well-rested for it, I of course stayed up all night doing Hookers And Blow and so fell asleep during the test.

But the EEG tech actually said that my falling asleep was quite helpful.

Pence declares 'ISIS has been defeated' on the same day as deadly Syria attack

On the same day that an ISIS-claimed attack killed US service members in Syria, Vice President Mike Pence declared that "the caliphate has crumbled and ISIS has been defeated."

Pence's remark to the Global Chiefs of Mission conference at the US State Department came about an hour after the US-led coalition confirmed that American troops had been killed in an explosion in Manbij.

"U.S. service members were killed during an explosion while conducting a routine patrol in Syria today. We are still gathering information and will share additional details at a later time," the tweet from Operation Inherent Resolve said.

ISIS claimed responsibility for the attack, which the ISIS-affiliated Amaq agency said was carried out by a suicide bomber with an explosive vest.

Pence Declares ISIS ‘Defeated’ Hours after Group Brags of Killing U.S. Troops

Mission Accomplished.

I had three dollars, enough to Get There And Back Again with four bits left over.

I was getting fixated on sex. This isn't - not for me at least - quite the same as getting horny, rather it's an inability to think about anything else.

However it was early evening. I do the best at getting tipped from late morning to mid-afternoon, but since yesterday every fucking Portland street corner has been occupied by canvassers who were raising money for a campaign whose objective is to legalize shrooms for treatment of depression, a cause I heartily support. Whenever I spoke with such a canvasser, I promised I'd shell out a generous portion of my tips, but my take is down lately.

It worked really well to print a US Letter-sized poster that read "Please Buy Me And My Lady Tickets To Spiderman And Some Popcorn $20.00" I actually raised $25 in just two twenty minute sets; two different people each gave me ten spots.

But since then I've used a sign that reads "Please Buy Me Five Hundred Business Cards $9.95 At Vistaprint" with the result that my gross revenues dropped right down into The Seventh Circle Of Hell".

Now that everybody - incorrectly - believes I've already seen Spiderman - she wasn't feeling well that night, so "Sarah" - not her real name - and I instead blew it on Caffein, seeing how she's so comfortable with being a drug addict.

So instead I'll ask for $22.00, seeing as how Portland's Living Room Theater, this because that particular theater's tickets cost eleven clams a head.

No one will believe - correctly - that I've already seen it. And I recommend it _highly_ to the lot of you. But I must advise you that if you've ever been with an addict, that movie is going to be hard to take - I burst into tears toward the end.

So now I've only got the four bits and no train fair.

The happy news is that I got blown by two different gents. They both requested I reciprocate at the same time, the first that's happened. Having only one oral pleasuring unit, I instead gave them both handjobs.

Do.
Yer.
Worst.

Gunman who killed officer left a note accusing police of hitting him with 'sonic waves'

The gunman who killed an officer in Northern California left behind a letter accusing the Davis police department of hitting him with "ultra sonic waves."

A man on a bicycle shot Davis police Officer Natalie Corona, 22, Thursday night as she responded to a triple-car crash in the city of Davis. He was later found dead with a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

[...] Limbaugh left behind a letter, according to Davis police spokesman Lt. Paul Doroshov, who read the letter on camera to CNN affiliate KMAX.

"The Davis police department has been hitting me with ultra sonic waves meant to keep dogs from barking. I notified the press, internal affairs, and even the FBI about it. I am highly sensitive to its affect [sic] on my inner ear," the letter reads. "I did my best to appease them, but they have continued for years and I can't live this way anymore."

The letter is signed "Citizen Kevin Limbaugh."

My Medicaid got cancelled as I was too sick to prepare the Profit And Loss Statement the Washington State Health Authority wanted from me so as to prove my income eligibility.

To run out of my Happy Pills won't make me crazy for a while, but skip just one dose of either of two of them will make me quite physically ill.

The ER won't give me many doses but it will give me _some_.

I'll take the bus, as I'm not so sick - not yet anyway - that I need at ambulance.