"Devistation Dave"

One of the blogs I read semi-regularly (Underachiever's Corner) posted a link to another blog with the blogger's Top 10 Worst Album Covers ever.

Check it out...most of them are good for a laugh on a rainy Tuesday morning.

The Ding Dong Cart

Everyone remembers the Good Humor trucks/Ice Cream truck/Ding Dong cart (everyone seems to have a different name for them). You heard the bicycle horn/bell from miles away, begged your parents for a buck and ran outside to wait for the guy to get close enough to find.

This seems innocent enough that having an ice cream truck in the neighborhood shouldn't bother you as an adult...right?

WRONG!

We have a couple of trucks that travel our neighborhood in search of happy kids willing to spend $2-$3 of their parents hard-earned money for a smaller version of the same ice cream novelties we enjoyed as kids. Inflation is not my beef with these trucks, that's part of life. THE DAMN SONGS ARE THE PROBLEM. When did the bicycle bell/horn go by the wayside for these stupid non-sensical tunes? The one that is particularly bothersome is the one that says "HELLO" once the song is through playing...and then the song starts up again.

The only thing I am looking forward to now that summer is coming to a close is that I will have a few months reprieve from the Damn song!

Alright...now that I have ranted, lets answer a question...

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM NOVELTY?

Answer in the comment section...include as many as you want - you aren't limited to just one.

CRUEL AND UNUSUAL PUNISHMENT

Today started as a normal day. Woke up, showered, dressed, got my lunch together, drove the 45 minute trip to UMass Amherst.

That is where 'normal' ended and cruel began.

As I was walking into the building, I noticed an annoying high pitched sound and that none of the normal lights were on...only the emergency lights. All of the building's cafe workers were out in the quad chatting - not cooking people's breakfasts. It was obvious the power was out.

I depend on the computer for about 90% of my job so with the power out...there wasn't much I could do. I read the paper (a luxury I rarely get); I even did the crossword (and felt dumber because of it); I cleaned out files from my predecessor that I have wanted to do since November but didn't have the time until now.

I was half hoping that if the power didn't return by 10:30 a.m. we would be sent home. Alright, alright...I was more than half hoping.

As I was finishing my file purging...at 10:30 a.m. on the nose, the lights pop on, the copier starts to whir and the air conditioning crackles and spits to life. If this wasn't cruel and unusual punishment, I don't know what is.

Oh well, now I have to get some work done...like blogging...a very important part of my job! :-).

I hope your day is better than mine has turned out to be.

LT

Cheryl Dukes Days

I have a friend at work that, ironically enough, is named Cheryl Dukes. She is almost as crazy as I am and we get along 'famously.' She is a great thinker, a great writer and a very funny person with some awesome ideas.

One of these ideas is "Cheryl Dukes Days." And any one with a sweet tooth will appreciate this! When one celebrates a Cheryl Dukes Day, they go out to eat and order DESSERT FIRST! Her theory on this is that most people look forward to dessert, but by the time they get through all the other courses, many times they are too full to think about dessert. AND (I love this) you can't as easily bring a bowl of ice cream, moose, cake, or pie home in a doggie bag as you can the portion of your steak or chicken meal.

So indulge the next time you are out and have your own Cheryl Dukes Day. You will have a smile on your face for days!

:-)

Spacey Stacey

So, I have earned the nickname "Spacey Stacey" because I am semi-infatuated with NASA and the Space Program and Race of the '60's and 70's. When the Tom Hanks mini-series "From the Earth to the Moon" debueted on HBO years ago, I made sure to tape all 12 episodes. I have little use for them since this past Christmas when I received the DVD set from my dear husband. When we were on vacation in May/June in Florida, I insisted (without much resistance, I might add) we go to the Kennedy Space Center so I could feed my obsession. This is where the nickname was born...ask Melissa, Adam, Scott or Jenn.

I tell you this because of all that is going on with the Shuttle this trip to orbit and the outcry for the Shuttle program to cease and for space exploration to stop until the next better exploration vehicle comes along.

I think it is selling the experts short - to stop the progress before it even has a chance to settle in. NASA scientists have been working for decades to get where they are today...AND over the past 50 years, there have been plenty of tragedies, most notably Apollo 1, Apollo 13 and of course the Challenger. But there were plenty more in the Mercury and Gemini programs before those. We overcame those obstacles and learned how to fix them to make the next mission better.

I ask - What happened to good ol' American perseverance? Why the sudden change of heart? The astronauts know the risks when they sign up otherwise they wouldn't be doing what they are doing. They put their lives on the line for science and for exploration and for finding new and better ways to use what we have.

An Op/Ed piece in today's New York Times sums it up very well. It is written by former Apollo Flight Director, Eugene Kranz. Check it out, let me know what you think.