Appreciating all that makes America special

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Music: Glenn Miller

Posted by on Aug 27, 2009 in Music | 2 comments

I realize with some shame that most of what I know about Glenn Miller comes from the movie The Glenn Miller Story, which starred Jimmy...

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Book/Movie: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

Posted by on Aug 26, 2009 in Film | 1 comment

For the first time, a listing covers both a book and a movie. Both are exceptionally good, and could be here separately. But that would be...

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TV Show: The Ed Sullivan Show

Posted by on Aug 25, 2009 in TV Show | Comments Off on TV Show: The Ed Sullivan Show

As befits the very earliest days of television, there couldn’t have been a simpler program format. Bring on a wide variety of acts,...

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Americana: Mall of America

Posted by on Aug 24, 2009 in Americana, Travel | Comments Off on Americana: Mall of America

It’s a basic element of American culture. We like our stuff supersized. First there was the strip shopping center. Then the mall....

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Americana: Lighthouses

Posted by on Aug 23, 2009 in Americana | Comments Off on Americana: Lighthouses

America has some beautiful lighthouses. So, for the first time, a Great American Things post is going to be mostly photos.

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Sports: Chris Evert

Posted by on Aug 22, 2009 in Sports | Comments Off on Sports: Chris Evert

How do you become a world-class tennis player? It helps if your dad is a tennis pro. And if you’re on the courts constantly from age...

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Actor: Robert Duvall

Posted by on Aug 21, 2009 in Actor | Comments Off on Actor: Robert Duvall

This man is an actor’s actor. Seldom has anyone had such a rich career and performed so many roles so flawlessly. And yet, when the...

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Food: Jamoca Almond Fudge

Posted by on Aug 20, 2009 in Food | Comments Off on Food: Jamoca Almond Fudge

What could be better on a 90-degree August day than ice cream? And what ice cream could be better than the unbelievably good Jamoca Almond...

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Americana: John Deere

Posted by on Aug 19, 2009 in Americana | Comments Off on Americana: John Deere

The name John Deere is synonymous with farming in the great American farm belt, stretching from the mid-South through the Midwest and into...

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Person: Chuck Yeager

Posted by on Aug 18, 2009 in People | Comments Off on Person: Chuck Yeager

My father ran the control board for the wind tunnels at Langley Field in Hampton, Virginia. As new airplane models were tested, he watched...

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