Revitalization Through Large Pictures?

That's the plan in downtown Rochester. A local student has been promoting the idea of displaying large pictures on downtown buildings to create a unique attraction. And, to my surprise, it looks like this project is going to get started. A large mosaic is going to be created and unveiled in September. Hopefully others will follow based on its success.

Between this and Pole-A-Palooza, it's good to see an ignored part of downtown receiving some attention. With that said, since Renaissance Square is scheduled to wipe out a number of Main Street buildings, they will continue to receive minimal upkeep given their fate. However, all of this activity could signal the beginning of a turnaround for Main.

The World Cup Begins

The World Cup is set to begin today. This event is the most watched television event around the world, even moreso than the Olympics. Despite the modest excitement in the United States, the country is fielding a very competitive team this year.

The CS Monitor has an interesting article that sheds light on what this event means to a significant portion of the world. In fact, it has been found that winning the World Cup adds 0.7% to a nation's economic growth, while losing can have a significant negative impact.

With that said, it's safe to say the United States isn't in that group. Despite that reality, I hope Americans take the time to enjoy some action and cheer on the competitive U.S. side.