Cricket Lounge

The rainy summer in Austin seems to have caused and early, and overwhelming, cricket mating season. Some of you may have noticed a few extra crickets chirping or you might have encountered a few in your path.

For those of you who have been in Bellmont hall (aka the stadium) lately, you will surely understand what I am about to write. It appears the crickets have become quite fond of Bellmont. There is now a severe infestation in the building. I had to abandon the stairwell next to the elevators about a month ago due to the number of crickets inhabiting the area. Aside from the necessitated balet footing, the smell become too much to handle. The cricket life cycle has a very distinct smell and it is not pleasant. This repulsive organic oder has engulfed almost every inch of the building. Some areas are worse than others. Overall, the entire building gives me the he-be-ge-bees. I think I'm starting to miss the fab, I want my clean room back.

As I was sitting in my office yesterday, watching a cricket run by my feet, I recalled something from Pittsburgh; the Cricket Lounge. As far as I can remember it was some male club in Pittsburgh with a cartoon cricket hanging off the outside of the building. I couldn't help but wonder, did that place get its name from the smell inside? I can only imagine how seedy that place must be now that I have come in contact with so many crickets.

... Yup, it appears there is a picture of the building on the Internet. (see above)

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----- The following email message was sent out to the UT d-list on 7/25. It made me laugh so I felt the need to add it into my blog. ------

As some of you may have noticed, there is a cricket infestation oncampus particularly affecting the area of the Main Building and UTTower. In an effort to control this cricket infestation, the universitywill not light the tower each night in the traditional manner. Brightlylit buildings are most likely to attract the largest numbers of cricketsat night, so we hope to attract fewer crickets and control the cricketpopulation by darkening the tower. Two lighting interruptions arescheduled to take place in the early evening on Friday, July 27 throughSunday, July 29, and Friday, August 3 through Sunday, August 5. Pleasenote that this is only a temporary measure to keep the cricketpopulation under control and cleanup at a minimum.