LITTLE ROCK, AR - Stacie "Mack" McIntosh is not your typical stylist. This is not your typical salon.
About one year ago, two of Mack's friends gave her a shrine dedicated to the band KISS as a gift. It sits in her salon and is about the size of an old-fashioned arcade game, covered in KISS pictures and memorabilia. The shrine's centerpiece is a mock KISS stage, complete with a light show.
Mack says her friends gave it to her, "because we all love KISS, they loved me, and it was a way for them to take their memorabilia and let the world share in all of our love for KISS."
Just one problem: Verizon says the shrine is interfering with their signal. They issued a statement, saying in part: "the interference is minimal and localized ... the device interferes with the spectrum for which we are licensed." Verizon wants Mack to get rid of the machine or at least leave it unplugged.
Her answer?
"What can they do to me? This is my salon," she said. "I pay the bills."
Verizon isn't sure why the machine causes interference. To find out, we asked Tim Huckaby of Weird Art Productions, he built it.
"Actually I have no idea because we just used common materials," said Tim Huckaby.
Here's some more potentially bad news for Verizon. Weird Art Productions is in the process of making two more KISS shrines that could lead to the same problem.
"If that one's already interfering," said Huckaby, "maybe KISS interference might come out of those. Who knows?"
No one knows yet. What we do know is Mack's shrine isn't going anywhere.
"It's not getting unplugged, and you better hope Gene Simmons doesn't hear about it because then you can deal with him," she laughed.
Verizon says their signal actually picks up interference more than you might think. One example they gave is a fast food sign that caused a problem. Typically they ask the owner to help out and it's no problem. This situation happens to be a little different.
If you'd like to see more of Weird Art Productions' work, you can go to
their Facebook page.
Stacie "Mack" McIntosh also has a Facebook page you can find
here.
