Graffiti Rocks

Graffiti Rock at Michigan Center High School

Graffiti Rock at Vandercook Lake High School

Graffiti Rock at Concord High School

Graffiti Rock at Jackson High School

When I was in High School we never had a Graffiti Rock and now I see them at almost every high school. I started "Googling" around and found that the Graffiti Rock tradition seems to have started at University of the Pacific in the 1960s two engineering students brought a large boulder and put in on the front yard of the Engineering and CS Building. A few years later a second boulder was put near that one. Students started sneeking out at night and painted graffiti on these rocks. I guess over time this custom spread to other Universities and then to High Schools. Just Google: University of the Pacific Graffiti Rock - a set on Flickr  , and you will see quite a few of their graffiti rocks over the last few years. oberlinrocks.com is another nice site showing the graffiti rocks for birthdays, anniversaries, proposals,just about anything.

Do Ice Cream Stands really make money in a Heat wave?

Jimio cooling down on a 100F Day

On these 100F plus days I have always wondered how busy an Ice Cream Stand can be. I suppose if you have to get out in this heat, an ice cream cone can cool you off for a bit. But that's the rub: "A Bit". Unless you order a 3-scoop cone it wont last very long [If you try to make it last, a lot of it ends up on the ground]. So its a balance of melting versus licking fast. I'd guess the smart people just purchase super-sized drinks because the ice lasts longer than any old ice cream cone will. I like eating ice cream cones because it reminds me when I was 5 years old and my first cone landed in the dirt. I take extra special care these days so I don't repeat that horrifying incident 55 years ago and every completely finished ice cream cone feels like an incredible victory. I think the reality is, most of the smart people are staying indoors in the AC so no wonder I'm the only one here. Probably being outdoors in a 100 degree plus day is no different than riding a bicycle in a foot of snow on a 20 below zero day. Either way I'm just as crazy! =B-]

A Worldwide Memorial

Section of World Trade Center at Cascades Falls Park, Jackson Michigan

When I went to take pics at our annual July 4th Fireworks at Cascades Falls, I had no idea this Memorial was there. As you can see the steel beam is twisted and torn and badly burned. I thought to myself: "If my little city has this WTC section, I wonder how many other Cities, Towns, Villages and Special Arenas or Parks have sections?" Well a little Googling has found me an article that says 13,000 linear feet of steel from the WTC was donated to about 1,300 places. Google 911memorials.org  to see a list of sites with 911 Memorials. These Memorials are located Worldwide since the entire world has felt the impact of 911.