This past weekend marked the opening of the new Orlando Science Center. The $40 million-plus facility is state of the art and will be a center of science and math learning for people throughout the state. ;;Lest we take this for granted, let's consider a cautionary tale of two Floridians for whom the center opened just a little too late. ;;The first is burgermeister and Florida resident Dave Thomas. In his many homespun television commercials, Thomas has extolled the fact that he is not only the founder of Wendy's but also a customer. Alas, too much partaking of the company products steered Dave toward quadruple bypass surgery, from which he is now recovering. ;;If only he had been able to visit the Body Zone exhibit in the new OSC, he would have seen the display warning that there is no healthful way to eat fast food. That much would have been obvious if only he had turned the giant nutrition wheel to reveal the fat and caloric content of his company's beloved hamburgers. ;;Likewise, a trip to the new museums 123 Math Street exhibit might have saved the day for local entrepreneur michael Peters who, as founder of Thee Doll House and Pure Platinum, has also been able to turn a profit out of a pound of flesh. Peters was recently convicted of financial wrongdoing. ;;As might be expected, there's a groundswell of support for these two community leaders. Word on the streets is that all the prostitutes working OBT between Wendy's and Thee Doll House have taken to wearing mustard-flavored ribbons as a sign of solidarity. ;;Whatever your opinion, don't hesitate to visit the science center and keep such a fate from befalling you. Peters has said he plans to pass his time out of the public eye by catching up on some reading and working out. We only hope Dave will follow suit. And we wish both a speedy return.
