1 year ago
26 August 2006
Don't Tell Me Those Words...
Effective 12/29/06, the contents of the original post have been taken off-line by the author for possible editing and revision
25 August 2006
Hey You Frequencies On, Sir...
Effective 12/29/06, the contents of the original post have been taken off-line by the author for possible editing and revision
23 August 2006
Some Dynamics of Groupthink
Effective 12/29/06, the contents of the original post have been taken off-line by the author for possible editing and revision
19 August 2006
To Hell and back...
Let's see, two weeks ago today, I literally drove my family to Hell... And it was a beautiful day to do so!
In my neck of the woods, there is this little town, called Hell. Hell, Michigan, to be exact. Population is reported to be about 300, not the countless millions many expect thanks to their various religious persuasions... You'll find Hell on a map just a couple miles southwest of the town of Pinckney, which in turn is west of the town of Hamburg. As we were approaching the turn off from US 23, I was hoping to see a road sign that indicated the exit was for Hamburg and Hell, but was disappointed. Hell was not that big of a draw to have a road sign on a US highway. Anyway, my interest in having a photo of a sign pointing to Hamburg and Hell is a different story...
I think the day of our visit was much like the day when it is rumored some German stagecoach travelers got out at a rest stop and, looking at the surroundings and the beauty of the weather, said "So schön und hell!" which means "How beautiful!". And that little rumor is one of the theories as to how the place got it's name. As you are driving along, if you blink, you may miss Hell. From what I've read it consists solely of a little country store (you know, the convenience store thing that most likely 7-11 and every gas station today has replaced), a ice cream / trinket shop, and a motorcycle dealership, a tavern, and a creek. When we visited, I didn't see even that much!
Lots of people travel the distance on the old two lane country highways west of US 23 in Livingston County to take pictures and buy trinkets so they can say they've been to Hell. Yes, it is a novelty and a tourist trap, but nearly everyone who goes there realizes it because it is the tongue-in-cheek humor that makes the trip worth while. We had some fun with it too, taking some pictures in front of signs and sticking heads through halloween monster boards. We contributed a bit to the local economy by buying a couple postcards and other trinkets as "evidence" of our visit.
Our oldest child, who is autistic, was with his caregiver for the day, so he was missing when it came time for the family picture in front of the "Welcome to Hell" sign. As we were leaving the Wendy's in Pinckney and driving back to US 23, I made a couple comments to the other four kids in the van. We had lamented him not being there with us for the "family" portrait, as we thought it would be fun for a family newsletter, but I stated "He is a Celestial candidate already, you know, so why would he be in Hell?" and then later I told them "Okay guys, you can now say you've been to Hell. This is as close as you are actually going to get to the real thing. Understood? From here on out, you guys are to be moving towards the Celestial kingdom."
Of course, for most Buckeyes, any place north of the state line in this state up north is Hell come college football season, so there are literally millions of people who reside in Hell...
In my neck of the woods, there is this little town, called Hell. Hell, Michigan, to be exact. Population is reported to be about 300, not the countless millions many expect thanks to their various religious persuasions... You'll find Hell on a map just a couple miles southwest of the town of Pinckney, which in turn is west of the town of Hamburg. As we were approaching the turn off from US 23, I was hoping to see a road sign that indicated the exit was for Hamburg and Hell, but was disappointed. Hell was not that big of a draw to have a road sign on a US highway. Anyway, my interest in having a photo of a sign pointing to Hamburg and Hell is a different story...
I think the day of our visit was much like the day when it is rumored some German stagecoach travelers got out at a rest stop and, looking at the surroundings and the beauty of the weather, said "So schön und hell!" which means "How beautiful!". And that little rumor is one of the theories as to how the place got it's name. As you are driving along, if you blink, you may miss Hell. From what I've read it consists solely of a little country store (you know, the convenience store thing that most likely 7-11 and every gas station today has replaced), a ice cream / trinket shop, and a motorcycle dealership, a tavern, and a creek. When we visited, I didn't see even that much!
Lots of people travel the distance on the old two lane country highways west of US 23 in Livingston County to take pictures and buy trinkets so they can say they've been to Hell. Yes, it is a novelty and a tourist trap, but nearly everyone who goes there realizes it because it is the tongue-in-cheek humor that makes the trip worth while. We had some fun with it too, taking some pictures in front of signs and sticking heads through halloween monster boards. We contributed a bit to the local economy by buying a couple postcards and other trinkets as "evidence" of our visit.
Our oldest child, who is autistic, was with his caregiver for the day, so he was missing when it came time for the family picture in front of the "Welcome to Hell" sign. As we were leaving the Wendy's in Pinckney and driving back to US 23, I made a couple comments to the other four kids in the van. We had lamented him not being there with us for the "family" portrait, as we thought it would be fun for a family newsletter, but I stated "He is a Celestial candidate already, you know, so why would he be in Hell?" and then later I told them "Okay guys, you can now say you've been to Hell. This is as close as you are actually going to get to the real thing. Understood? From here on out, you guys are to be moving towards the Celestial kingdom."
Of course, for most Buckeyes, any place north of the state line in this state up north is Hell come college football season, so there are literally millions of people who reside in Hell...
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