Just for the record, here is why this blog is called, "The Lingering Lemon of Death".
Really, the answer is, for no sensible reason at all. When I first discovered the blogosphere, I was clicking on things in Blogger to get my free blog, and it asked me for a title of my blog...
From the depths of my brain, up bubbled the memory of a Really Stupid Idea from my days as a software development manager, "The Lingering Lemon of Build Breakage". This was a large (football sized) plastic lemon, which could be hung by a very thin string, over the head of the last person to submit code which made it impossibe for us to build the software project we were working on.
We were having problems with the build being broken almost constantly, and, on the theory that this problem was something that could be solved by raising it's visibility a little, I invented the Really Stupid Idea. It was really stupid for a couple of reasons, first of all, everyone was keenly aware of the difficulties, our problems were deeper than just a need for raised awareness, secondly it was stupid because shame is galactically stupid choice for motivation.
When it was time to invent a name for my blog, maybe I was attempting to do pennance for the Really Stupid Idea. Consigned to purgatory, writing blog entries forever, with a plastic lemon hanging over my head, sort of a citrus flavored Sword of Damocles.
So now you know.
... not that anyone ever asked. To tell the truth, it was easier to write about this than to have anything to say about faith, because I am feeling weary of words right now
Well, actually I was curious. I just assumed it was some literary reference that everyone else was familiar with and I'd appear ignorant if I asked. Now that I know it's just something out of your own warped mind, I feel much better :)
-M
Posted by: Michael Main | Sunday, September 28, 2003 at 05:05 PM
We never asked, but we have all wondered. :-)
Posted by: Jon Reid | Monday, September 29, 2003 at 09:39 AM
plastic lemons...
when I was about 6 or 7 years old, I had a cousin and his wife who were in their early twenties. They gave me this huge present for Christmas. I started unwrapping, and unwrapping, and unwrapping - layer upon layer of tissue paper. After many long minutes of building anticipation, I finally unwrapped the last layer, just to find a little plastic lemon. They thought they were being so clever, and I was so devastated.
What is it with plastic lemons?
No reflection on your blog intended... :)
Posted by: Chris A. | Tuesday, September 30, 2003 at 12:26 AM