[Billfred]

Everyone,

I hate to do this--it hasn't happened in the 159 caption contests before it--but I'm going to have to cut this one short. You can read why here if you like. As such, I'm only going to award first, second, and the burn award this week--everyone else will get the standard one point, which will be applied sometime down the road (so don't look for it in the scores right now). I hope you'll understand.

First place, which should surprise nobody, goes to:

Originally Posted by KathieK

Hello students, hello mentors,
Here I am at Camp Kennedy Space Center
Camp is very entertaining
And I’m prepared in case it never stops raining.

I teach robots with Spammy Badame
She lives in Florida, north of Miami
We teach programming to beginners
And tonight we’re testing code on the shuttle after dinner.

All the campers hate the waiting
And the Argentinians need translating
And the kids from England like it hotter
And everyone’s sitting around reading Harry Potter.

Now I don't want this should scare ya
But we got access to the launch area
Here’s a picture with Endeavor
I’m going to treasure it forever.

Don’t send me home, oh students, mentors
Don’t send me home, I love the Center
Don't leave me out in the swampland where
I might get eaten by an alligator.
Don’t send me home I promise I will not make noise
Or mess the lab with LEGO toys.
Oh please let me stay
I've been here one whole day.

Dearest mentors, darling CDers,
How's my precious little engineers
I won’t come home, even if you miss me
At the next CD Web Hug you can hug and kiss me.

Wait a minute, it’s stopped pouring.
Nerds are yelling; the engines are roaring
Almost liftoff, gee that's better
Students, mentors hope you get to read this letter.

Second place goes to:

Originally Posted by Travis Hoffman

Barry was originally thrilled to land a position with NASA's ()rbiter #azard and $RB #ealth !nspection +eam, their latest cost-cutting program to target desperate college students. Little did Barry know he would soon be screaming his job's acronym as he inspected the Shuttle's exterior, dangling from a harness 150 feet above the safety of the ground.

Upon hearing his screaming and believing it to be exuberant pride in his job and the team he was a part of, his superiors soon promoted him to the position of Chief Painter for the exterior of the Vehicle Assembly Building. Now he spends his time suspended from a harness 450 feet in the air. Keep reaching for the stars, Barry!

And the burn award...

Originally Posted by EddieMcD

"What's with the shaky camera and bad angles? I mean, I'd expect the guys in the shuttle to be drunk (because seriously, nobody in their right mind would go up in one of those things sober), but the cameraman? That's just wrong."

Which means the scores are...

KathieK    14
Wayne Doenges    14
Travis Hoffman    14
EricS-Team180    13
boiler    12
cooker52    8
EddieMcD    8
skimoose    6
GaryVoshol    6
Greg Needel    6
InfernoX14    6
JaneYoung    6
Rich Wong    6
raymaniac    5
Al Skierkiewicz    4
BlondeNerd    4
Kristian Calhoun    4
Alex Cormier    4
Koko Ed    4
Nuttyman54    4
Tim Delles    3
"Big Mike"    3
Barry Bonzack    3
Bharat Nain    3
Hiteak    3
kramarczyk    3
Michelle Celio    3
rocketperson44    3
Pavan    3
Andy Baker    2
Dave Scheck    2
dhoizner    2
MissInformation    2
Schnabel    2
Danielle H    2
Don Rotolo    2
wpdrummer    2
114ManualLabor    1
andrew348    1
Bcahn836    1
Cynette    1
Goober!!!    1
Jay H 237    1
Jeremiah Johnson    1
joshsmithers    1
KelliV    1
SSMike    1
Steve W    1

Onward.