Take Two: Nothing for kids to do is untrue

Boohoo — nothing for kids to do

Am I the only islander who is confused by the clamor to create more activities for our youth here?

When pubic officials and others start beating the drums for the city to create bowling alleys and miniature golf courses, I get nervous.

When they start talking about a new "assigned property tax" or a "park tax" to pay for such alleged amenities, I get scared.

As islanders face large fees for enhanced sewerage and are still paying the costs of recovery from Hurricane Wilma — roof tiles, screen enclosures and such — are we seriously considering taxing ourselves so the kids can go bowling or hit a golf ball through the clown's mouth?

We need a reality check. Tens of thousands of people, young and not so, pay big bucks to come to this island to play. They enjoy the beach, the fishing, boating, sunsets, sea breezes, nature walks.

They giggle at the boys and ogle the girls, and they play beach volleyball for hours. Younger ones (and some dads, too) are kings of their sand castles. It is a stunning, natural playground and it's free, without having to rent used shoes to enjoy it.

Not enough for the kids to do? More taxes to operate a bowling alley or miniature golf course? Please.

News flash for chocoholics

When the latest Star Wars DVD came out last October, the company that makes M&M's temporarily reissued some dark chocolate, or "Darth" chocolate as they put it, repeating a previous promotional tie-in.

Recently, a friend who loved those Darth M&M's wrote a passel of e-mails to the company, asking them to keep the dark chocolate goodies in their repertoire.

"I told them I only had one 14-ounce bag left of the 21 I bought in October," our friend Kathy Corff Rogers says. "So maybe I sounded just desperate enough."

Whether it was Kathy's crusade for M&M's from the Darth side that sealed the deal, we'll never know. But the firm sent her a note the other day reading: "Great news! M&M's dark chocolate candies will be available starting July 2006 as a permanent item. Stay tuned to our Web site, www.mms.com, for updates." Well done, Kathy. A grateful nation thanks you.

It occurs that the only thing better than dark M&M's might be ice cream made with M&M's. Come to find out, it's already out there in various forms. One is at the chain of Stewart's Shops ice cream stories in upstate New York. They sell M&M's Brownie Fudge Light. Wonder what the light part is.

A lie up in smoke

A British friend said this to us the other day during a conversation about raising children:

"I spent the first half of my life hiding from my parents the fact that I smoked. Now I'm spending the second half hiding from my kids the fact that I smoke."

Earth to friend: Smokers who think they're hiding it are delusional.

Who would believe this? "Rocket" mail

On this date, June 8, in 1959, America launched our first "rocket mail."

The U.S. Postal Service launched a missile carrying 3,000 letters. The nuclear weapon, minus its warhead, was fired from a submarine, carrying the mail to a naval station in Mayport

Some officials claimed the age of rocket-delivered mail had begun

Arthur E. Summerfield, the postmaster general at the time, said, "Before man reaches the moon, mail will be delivered within hours from New York to California, to Britain, to India or Australia, by guided missiles."

As far as I can tell, that was our first and last U.S. mail delivery by guided missile. Still, the prediction of rocket-fast mail has come true, hasn't it? E-mail, that is.

Who Said This:

"I have mixed feelings about the war (in Iraq). I support the war but I'm against the troops."

Comedian Jeffrey Ross said this on a tour to entertain the troops in Iraq. It was Ross's second visit to the troops in Iraq.