Who is Ulysses Ashley, and why does he send me email?

Well, guys, I'm not going to lie to you--I'm tired. And my ears are stuffed up and my contacts are fuzzy. All of these factors convince me that I shouldn't be here in the lab today. Should I go get some coffee? Maybe, but my usual Friday morning coffee buddy isn't here. That's Buebbles, by the way, and he is flying to North Carolina today and won't be back until next Monday. Should I work on my paper revisions? Definitely, but let's be realistic. Who has the motivation to start on something that downright crappy on a Friday? (Or a Monday or a Tuesday or any other day, for that matter?) So, I think I will spend the day reading strangers' blogs and watching the computer take data on a sample that might as well be a rubber ducky for all the physics that I'm getting out of it.