Back in the mid-eighties as a kid with more time then money I did a bit of dumpster diving and came up with a discarded drip style coffee maker with an analog clock on the front. I ripped the top off (where the coffee grounds and filter go) and discarded the element (it would be not that many years later that I’d start realizing the need for actually making coffee in the morning).

The element was replaced with a piece of wood and the top had a LAMP stuck into it. Along with that I also added an outlet to the side so that at the appropriate time in the morning both the lamp would turn on and my stereo – Sony CD play, with Telarc’s recording of the 1812 overture (hey who says kids don’t appreciate the classics!).

Ah the good old days. The frankenclocklamp thingy is long gone. Still have the CD (and even the CD player)….