Appreciating all that makes America special

Most Recent Articles

Americana: Amish Quilts

Posted by on Oct 4, 2010 in Americana, The Arts | Comments Off on Americana: Amish Quilts

Doesn’t it strike you as somewhat contradictory that Amish women, often called “plain people,” make such beautiful,...

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Kid Stuff: Chuck E. Cheese's

Posted by on Oct 3, 2010 in Kids Stuff | 1 comment

A friend of mine calls this place “Chuck E. Cheese’s Pizza Hell.” I get that. But the company’s slogan is...

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Sports: Mark Spitz

Posted by on Oct 2, 2010 in Sports | Comments Off on Sports: Mark Spitz

Mark Spitz is remembered as one of the greatest Olympic swimmers ever. He won nine Olympic gold medals, one silver, and one bronze, while...

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TV Show: Gunsmoke

Posted by on Oct 1, 2010 in TV Show | 1 comment

Did we just completely use up all the storylines for Westerns during the 1950s and 1960s? How can you explain that a whole genre of...

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Writer: William Faulkner

Posted by on Sep 30, 2010 in The Arts, Writers | Comments Off on Writer: William Faulkner

Probably the most celebrated Southern writer, William Faulkner produced 20 novels, more than a hundred short stories, and several volumes...

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Food: Smithfield Ham

Posted by on Sep 29, 2010 in Food | 1 comment

Let’s start off by admitting that Smithfield Ham isn’t for everyone. These hams are dry salt-cured, slow hickory-smoked, and...

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Singers: The Supremes

Posted by on Sep 28, 2010 in Singer | 4 comments

Okay, this fact shocked me: The Supremes are America’s most successful vocal group. Not the Beach Boys. Not the Temptations. This...

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Kid Stuff: Road Runner and Wile E. Coyote

Posted by on Sep 27, 2010 in Kids Stuff | Comments Off on Kid Stuff: Road Runner and Wile E. Coyote

Poor, poor Wile E. Coyote. Never quite able to capture his prey. Many times he got close – oh so close, so tantalizingly close...

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Director: Orson Welles

Posted by on Sep 26, 2010 in Director | 1 comment

I celebrate Welles here as a director, because that’s the area I consider his greatest strength. But he was also a writer, actor,...

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Song: "Piano Man"

Posted by on Sep 25, 2010 in Songs | 1 comment

Despite Billy Joel’s long and successful career, his numerous top ten hits and best-selling albums, if you’re asked to think of...

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