Hand-holding flames

 

Porcelain cheeseburger

 

Cat sculpture

Hell, Michigan

Thanks, Luke!

There is a place named Hell in the United States, but it is technically an unincorporated community rather than an incorporated city. 

Located in Livingston County, Michigan, within Putnam Township, it is the only settlement in the U.S. with this name. Key details include:

• Location: Approximately 15 miles northwest of Ann Arbor and three miles southwest of Pinckney. 

• Status: As an unincorporated community, it has no legally defined boundaries or official population statistics, though it has a local post office that singes postcards with the stamp "Been through Hell."

• History: The name became official on October 13, 1841, with legends attributing it to early settlers finding the swampy conditions "hellish" or a mishearing of the German phrase "so schön hell" (so beautifully bright). 

• Tourism: The town actively embraces its name with devil-themed decor, businesses like the Hell Saloon and Screams Souvenirs from Hell, and is known for the phrase "Hell freezes over" when Michigan winters are particularly cold. 

Random signs...

Marshmallows

Ready for the next funeral pyre!
 

Salmiak cats

A salmiak cat is not a distinct breed but rather a domestic cat exhibiting a rare, recessive coat color mutation that can appear in any non-pedigreed feline. 

This unique pattern was first observed in 2007 among feral cats in central Finland, specifically in the village of Petäjävesi. 

The distinctive appearance is caused by a 95-kilobase deletion in the KIT gene (specifically a recessive variant known as wsal). 

This genetic deletion prevents pigment cells from functioning correctly as hairs grow, resulting in strands that are dark at the root and fade to white at the tip.  This creates an ombre effect on the cat's back that resembles salty licorice (salmiakki), a popular Finnish candy, while typically retaining a standard white "tuxedo" pattern on the chest, belly, and paws. 

Inheritance: The trait is recessive, meaning a cat must inherit two copies of the variant (one from each parent) to display the pattern. 

Genetic Mechanism: Unlike typical dilution genes, this mutation involves a missing chunk of DNA downstream of the KIT gene, which regulates melanocyte (pigment cell) development. 

Variations: While most common in black and black-and-white cats, the pattern can also appear in blue, brown tabby, and tortoiseshell variations.