LAPD at its finest

I have often discussed here the phenomenon of LAPD (Los Alamos Personality Disorder).  Whether it is returning library books as you are being evacuated due to a raging wildfire, or nicknaming your grandchild Femto, it comes with the territory of this quirky, highly-educated, science-saturated place.  And I find it rather endearing most of the time.

Here in White Rock, we have what is affectionately known as "the white rock".  It sits prominently on the busiest corner in town (where Route 4 meets Rover Blvd), and what started as a landscaping statement has become a sort of message board, constantly being painted by citizens.  Sometimes it has a message like the one pictured here, or is simply art-work, but more often it has a birthday or anniversary wish.  My children have helped to paint it for various occasions, and Tim and Nikki's engagement was announced here.  That is a sweet little community ritual, and there is nothing particularly odd about it.

But here is where the LAPD comes in.  A local scientist began to wonder exactly how thick the paint is on this rock after 40 years of painting.  He found the surface of the rock to be rubbery and soft, and was worried that the rock was somehow deteriorating. So he did an experiment.  He actually took a core sample from the rock, then patched his hole, sealed the core with epoxy, cut it in half, and found 5.5 inches of paint on top.  When asked why he did this, he replied that it is the nature of Los Alamos people to wonder what is inside things and to find out.

Ain't it the truth?! Remember this is the place where, after I had a radioactive injection for cancer treatment, my neighbor loaned me his Geiger counter to track the movement of the material in my body.

Thanks, fellow LAPD observer, B.F. (who is my bff) for the info. And if you want a little taste of LAPD, watch the Sy-Fy channel show Eureka. It's not a great show, but it is populated with people who are infected with LAPD, and as such, I have a bit of affection for it.