Ramblings of an Idiot (6th Installment)

Journal pagsz's Journal: Ramblings of an Idiot (6th Installment)

Journal by pagsz on Wednesday May 08, 2002 @01:43PM

Well, it's two and a half hours later (11:30 for the addition-impaired), and again, I don't really have anything to do. My first class of the day (Discrete Structures II, MTH 182) ended about 40 minutes ago. My second class (Software Organization & Design, CIS 280) doesn't start until 2:00. So, I headed directly to the computer lab, and, lacking something to do, decided to post a journal entry. Why the hell not?

So, on to the bulleted list of moronic crap!

Seems a little weird now that the semester is winding down (I mentioned this before, in RoaI(3I)). Had gotten used to the rhythm of the semester, and things are now changing. Only one week of classes left. Then finals.

Schedule works out great, though. I'm going to a Boston Red Sox game on Thursday, May 16, which happens to be the day off between the end of classes and the beginning of finals. Just luck.
Just had to switch browsers in the middle of the post. I'd been using the back button a bit, going back and checking things. For some reason Netscape 6.1 would give me a blank page every time I used it. It was beginning to get annoying, so I switched over to IE 5.5. I try to use IE as little as possible, but Netscape was pissing me off. Thank God for cut-and-paste.
The state of Massachusetts. I'm beginning to find out how screwed up things are in this state. Here's why:
1. Taxation vs. Spending: Massachusetts is well known for having some of the highest tax rates in the nation (that's why it's often referred to as Taxachusetts). And yet, this same state is near the bottom in spending on higher education. As of 1999, 45th out of 50 in higher education spending. Similar ranking on a per-student basis. And dead last in the nation for increase in higher education spending for the next fiscal year (a 6.2% cut). The secondary schools (Elementary: K - 5; Junior: 6 - 8; High: 9 - 12) aren't exactly getting top notch funding, either. Some memories from my high school (Case High, Swansea): Half the lockers didn't open. Luckily, there were enough for twice the student population. One bank of lockers was beginning to fall out of the wall. Half the lights were left off to conserve energy. Plus other things I can't think of right now. Then there's Durfee, in Fall River. At the beginning of this year, there were three bathrooms open for a population of three thousand students. One for boys, two for girls. Couldn't afford to watch and clean the other seventeen (students were smokin' in 'em). Getting away from schools, roads: If I'm not mistaken, Massachusetts is ranked near the bottom in this category as well (no better than 40th, I believe). I still remember the Fall River Government Center / Route 79 debacle. See, the Fall River Government Center is built over an interstate highway (I - 195). Last year, a few cement tiles from the bottom of the GC fell onto the roadway below. Shortly later, a few pieces of concrete fell onto the Rte. 79 roadway (from a different overhead bridge, but nearby). Thankfully, there were no major injuries. Well taken care of roads, to be sure. So where's all this money going? The Big Dig can't be taking up that much damn money.
2. The Governor and the Stock Market: A few years ago, in 1998, the governor of Massachusetts put money that was earmarked for a bridge project into the stock market. The market was going strong, and as of yet the bridge project was stalled. So he put some of the money into the stock market (I forget how much). Well, it was found out a few months later, and pulled out of the stock market. There was a newspaper article on in, but that's about it. As for the bridge, construction began in the summer of 2001, and is expected to be complete by 2006.
3. Late Night at the Statehouse: I remember about a year back, there was a resolution passed in the Massachusetts state legislature banning sessions from going all night. You see, the legislature of the state had gotten a reputation for pulling all-nighters in the statehouse, and not always to pass legislation if you get my drift. Parties at the statehouse on taxpayer dollars. Here, and I thought Ted Kennedy served the state from Washington.
4. . . . and this is what's known . . .
And people think Rhode Island politics are screwed up, what with the Plunderdome thing and all (For those that don't know: Providence, RI mayor Buddy Cianci on trial on federal racketeering charges. Eighteen charges for him personally; and already a few arrests from within the statehouse). Politics are fun!
Enough politics for now . . . Star Wars: Episode II: Attack of the Clones is released a week from tomorrow (May 16, 2002 for idiots). I'll probably see it the following Monday (May 20, 2002). I can't get there the 16th (going to a ball game), and don't want to. I'd rather go a couple of days after, when the initial rush is over. I'll just have to make sure to ignore any reviews on Slashdot those couple of days.
IE 5.5 just crashed. I had two windows open, one for this and one for my Hotmail account. The latter crashed. Never mind. Just slow as hell.
Started a diet. Been on it for two weeks now. Trying that Atkins diet (you now, all the fat you want but no carbohydrates). Figured I'd try it. Lost a little weight already. Trying to get my bulbous ass down below 300. Why am I writing this here? Because I know no one will read it. And any that might don't know me. So, what the hell.
Been at this for about an hour and a half already (it's now 12:53). What, you thought these winding, rambling, idiotic posts just showed up at the time listed below the subject? Silly puppy, it takes a little bit of time to cram all this stupidity into a little text box. Never mind the necessary speel chocking. I've also been doing other things; checking e-mail (Hotmail and University Mail), and crud like that. Don't pressure me!
You know, I should download that spell-checking plug-in for Mozilla. Would be a lot easier than pasting back and forth with MS Word to use its spell checker. Maybe the EnigMail plug-in as well. I'm getting tired of doing it that way. Especially when these dumb-ass posts start to get a little long.
And now, for no reason, ten random links:
There you go. Another complete waste of time. That last one is not a joke. Don't click it. Trust me.
Hey, look! Now it's 1:23 (I love that). Only another half hour to kill!
This is beginning to get boring. However, I still have nothing better to do. So, stupidity ho! Wait, check that. I just figured out something else I can do to kill time. Go to the bathroom (No. 2)!

Well, that's it. Nature calls. I've emptied by brain of crap, now it's time to do the same with my colon. Bathroom ho!
--Pagsz, World's Most Constipated (Mentally) Moron

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