Appreciating all that makes America special

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Film: Casablanca

Posted by on Feb 14, 2010 in Film | Comments Off on Film: Casablanca

“Of all the gin joints, in all the towns, in all the world, she walks into mine.” It’s the movie that made Humphrey...

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Holiday: Conversation Hearts

Posted by on Feb 13, 2010 in Food, Holiday | Comments Off on Holiday: Conversation Hearts

The primary manufacturer of conversation hearts in America, the NECCO candy company, makes more than 8 billion of them each year....

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Travel: Stagecoach Trails Guest Ranch

Posted by on Feb 12, 2010 in Travel | Comments Off on Travel: Stagecoach Trails Guest Ranch

A dude ranch experience isn’t everyone’s idea of a great vacation. But if you love horses, nature, and the West, it could be...

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Singer: Hank Williams

Posted by on Feb 11, 2010 in Singer | Comments Off on Singer: Hank Williams

    I have to confess, I had no idea that Hank Williams died at the age of 29. His music was so fully developed, his influence so...

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Song: "Unforgettable"

Posted by on Feb 10, 2010 in Songs | Comments Off on Song: "Unforgettable"

This is one of the greatest songs from the Great American Songbook. Nelson Riddle arranged it, and Nat King Cole (Great American Things,...

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Sports: 1980 USA Hockey Team

Posted by on Feb 9, 2010 in Sports | 1 comment

Grown men cried. Strangers embraced. Groups all around the country spontaneously joined to sing “The Star Spangled Banner” and...

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Americana: Boy Scouts of America

Posted by on Feb 8, 2010 in Americana | Comments Off on Americana: Boy Scouts of America

I was a Cub Scout back in my hometown of Newport News, Va., and Mrs. Ranny Leake was my den mother. My memories of scouting are sketchy; we...

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Americana: Mayo Clinic

Posted by on Feb 7, 2010 in Americana | Comments Off on Americana: Mayo Clinic

Today, “Mayo Clinic” is synonymous with medical excellence. U.S. News and World Report ranks it the number two hospital in the...

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Food: Fritos Corn Chips

Posted by on Feb 6, 2010 in Food | 1 comment

Imagine going into a grocery store before the era of convenience foods. You’d see fresh produce, barrels of penny candy, some canned...

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The Arts: Jasper Johns

Posted by on Feb 5, 2010 in Artists, The Arts | Comments Off on The Arts: Jasper Johns

Abstract expressionism dominated the American art scene in the early fifties, a style Jasper Johns never identified with. He went in...

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