gigamatic

Ok, go read about McCain's summer feel-good plan. Here's a link.

Now, as I've been listening to every reporter talk about this, I've been trying to stifle my own cries of "bullshit," "moron," "panderer," and such. Does he seriously think this will work, or is he just trying to convince voters that he's going to somehow save the economy even before he takes office?

And does anybody believe it will work? Do they?

First of all, the savings will be pennies. PENNIES. Secondly, he's also asking that we stop putting oil in reserves. WTF? Those are there for a REASON. Third, and this is the one that actually struck me first... $0.12/gallon? Is he retarded? Our gas varies up and down that much over the course of a day! Do you think anybody would notice? And do you think oil companies wouldnt find a way to charge that extra $0.12 themselves?

I wanted to like McCain. I wanted to be able to say "wow, we've got 3 candidates who all sound pretty decent" and until he spoke up about this, I really thought he might have a chance. Now I just keep thinking "turdhead."

You're grasping at straws, aren't you, McCain? I can't wait to see what's next.

Posted by gigamatt at 12:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Well, I'd say the history may reveal, within the next 5 years, (or less) how that polished turd called the South Campus Gateway, which was meant to solve the urban blight of the south campus area, will have ultimately added nothing to the area.

Crime in the area is up, with disappearances and shootings, not to mention full-on beatings as people get mugged and carjacked. The buildings are already visibly deteriorating. And the bars all smell just like the "dirty" south campus bars used to.

Way to go, Campus Partners. You sucked the neighborhood-ness out of that area, and replaced it with a bright, shining turd. I hope you're happy. I also hope your vacancy rates increase and it falls apart into the very thing you were trying to avoid.

I actually found myself driving through that neighborhood (I missed a turn), and past what used to be a hardware store, and is now quickly becoming a multi-million-dollar police station. The one that's replacing the other one at the north end. I got angry.

I'm still angry, even though I havent lived there for almost 7 months. The police quit patrolling the north area about 4 years ago, anyway, even though crime kept going up. It just makes me more angry that they'll be focussing further south, instead of expanding and adding new patrols.

Yes, I know that costs money. Everything does. Everyone knows crime is up all over, so why arent we doing things about it? And I'm also pointing fingers at the stupid students who don't ever talk to your neighbors other than to yell or fling beer bottles at 3am.

The downward spiral will continue, as our culture full of consumerist, "entitled" children grow up. Paying for the shiny and new, instead of embracing and fixing the old.

Posted by gigamatt at 2:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Do you know where this is going? You should. Breaking the diet one day at a time.

I was on the way back from moving ten 18 gallon bins of toys from storage to the house, and realized I was starving. Hey, my brain said, you can get grilled chicken at BK.

And then, on the sign, I saw the Loaded Angus Steakhouse Burger. You know, there's a limit to how much artery-clogging one should do on a daily basis, and I think this is probably beyond that limit.

Let's start with a nice Angus burger. Ok, put it on a corn-dusted bun. Now add bacon. And onion straws. And A1 steak sauce. And cheese. Sounds good so far, right? Mmm, fatty goodness. Now, add mashed potatoes. "Loaded" mashed potatoes, I assume. I couldn't find the details on their website, but from the menu board, it taunted me. "YOU CANT RESIST! You want to know how bad it really is!"

Yeah, I got one, and it wasn't as horrible as I originally thought. However, as I was eating it, I realized they're just doing the same think KFC does, in sandwich form. You could easily swap out the steak sauce for a thick, savory gravy, leave off the bacon, substitute onions for onion straws and make a "cottage pie burger". And somebody would eat it. Probably some bloke, who like me, was curious.

Now, I'm not curious. I won't go down that path again.

What I did find odd was not with the burger, but with the cup my diet soda came in -- "Designed by Sean John". Really? Do we need that shit? Who the f*ck cares? It's a cup of ice with about 2 oz of coke in it. Does anybody but me read the cup?

Ugh.

Posted by gigamatt at 1:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I think I have decided to kill the idea of a new laptop, software, and new glasses. I don't need em, yet. I can use the same laptop I have been using at home, and do homework at the lab. Or work.

A new laptop would be $800 minimum, and the software I need to do my homework at home is $300+. That's $1100 I don't have. Glasses (lenses) are $120, so now that's $1220.

I've got three trips coming up, quickly -- Cinci -- $250, Athens, $250, and Chicago? Chicago, I've already spent $150 on concert tickets, with another $225 coming, at least. I can see those canceling each other out. All three are conference-related. At least one is tax-deductible.

I think I'd better plant a big garden full of lettuce this spring if I'm going to afford to take Nala on vacation this fall.

Posted by gigamatt at 8:55 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)